Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive addresses IPEC 2018 in Doha

• Akbar Al Baker delivers special address and contributes key insights to panel discussion on ‘Strategies and Initiatives Towards Qatar’s National Vision 2030’
• Address highlights Qatar Airways’ growth and its strategic role in supporting Qatar’s economic development

DOHA, Qatar: Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker addressed key government, economic and business leaders on the opening day of the International Products Exhibition and Conference (IPEC) 2018, at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, in the heart of Doha’s city centre.

Held under the patronage of the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, the conference’s opening day was attended by senior Qatari government ministers and dignitaries, corporate CEOs, and investors, among others.

The three-day IPEC conference showcases strategic projects that aid in achieving national development, as well as facilitate public-private partnerships and joint ventures. It represents an important gateway for bolstering economic relations and accelerating trade across various industries. Foreign investors and business owners attending IPEC can explore first-hand a multitude of investment and development opportunities in Qatar across diverse sectors. Speaking during his speech on ‘Connecting Qatar to new countries with their state of the art airline’, Al Baker said: “We are proud to play a major role in building and protecting Qatar’s future prosperity. Qatar Airways continues its growth and expansion plans as it has launched 24 new destinations since the start of the illegal blockade, plus increasing the frequency of flights and upgrading the size of aircraft on many existing routes.

“We promote Qatar and our brand through many prominent and prestigious international sporting events, such as the FIFA World Cup of which we are the major sponsor. By promoting Qatar to the world as a tourism and stopover destination through our subsidiaries, we have experienced a 39% increase in the number of stopover passengers. “Through our commitment to excellence, we bring Qatar to the world, hoping to earn the right to bring the world to Qatar, and our strategy is working.”

Al Baker also spoke at a panel discussion titled ‘Strategies and Initiatives Towards National Vision 2030’. The discussion focused on upcoming projects and opportunities regarding the FIFA World Cup 2022, as well as plans for launching new strategies and initiatives in Qatar aimed at fulfilling the Qatar National Vision 2030. Other speakers on the panel included Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) Acting Chairman and Chief Tourism Development Officer Hassan Abdulrahman Al Ibrahim; as well Qatar National Bank (QNB) Group Chief Executive Officer Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari; and Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Chief Executive Officer Yousuf Mohamed Al Jaida.

Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Business Class’ by the 2018 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Business Class Seat’, ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’ and ‘World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge’.

The national carrier for the State of Qatar is one of the world’s fastest-growing airlines, with a modern fleet of more than 200 aircraft flying to business and leisure destinations across six continents. The award-winning airline recently revealed a host of upcoming new global destinations, including Gothenburg, Sweden; Mombasa, Kenya; and Da Nang, Vietnam.