Gulf Times | 26 February 2012
By Peter Townson/Staff Reporter
Australia’s rich natural resources and strong agriculture market mean that future collaboration and investment opportunities between the country and Qatar are plentiful, according to visiting officials, who highlighted their national propensity to deal with two major issues facing the Gulf region, energy and food security.
The Australian Gulf Business Council is currently visiting Qatar during a tour of the region, and Gulf Times spoke to chief executive, Mickael Yabsley, former deputy prime minister of Australia and leader of the business mission, Mark Vaile and chairman of the Council for Arab Australian Relations, Ahmed Fahour.
Some 20 companies are visiting as part of the delegation, with many looking for ways to develop new investment opportunities and begin joint ventures in a number of different areas.
Vaile said: “At the moment, the big focus is in the food security area, and rather than just being buyers and sellers of soft commodities and processed food products, we should be moving that to a higher level and being joint investors in production, logistical supply chains through to the point of consumption, and that’s already started with Hassad Foods in Qatar investing in Australia, but we would like to see more of that.”
Ties between Australia and the Gulf region have been developing strongly in recent years, and in 2010 there were more than 2,000 Australian companies in the area, with trade between the Gulf and Australia at $AU8.74bn.
The first direct flight from the Gulf to Australia was launched from Dubai in 1997, and there are now 1,823 flights a year, which has contributed massively to developing bilateral relations between the region and Australia, argued Vaile.
Fahour also cited an example from Saudi Arabia to indicate just how quickly bilateral relations have grown.
Only ten years ago, there were less than ten students from Saudi Arabia studying in Australia, and now there are over 12,000, he explained.
And he said that the two fundamental areas of concern for countries in the region are securing the future of food and energy for their people.
“Australia has a major advantage, as the two single biggest issues which we are in a terrific position to help the world with are agriculture and energy and resources,” said Fahour, explaining that this is leading to increased interest in two-way investment.
He went on to explain the purpose of the Council for Australian-Arab relations, which is supporting the work of the Australia Gulf Council and trying to encourage increased co-operation in a number of areas.
“We’re a council which was formed by the Australian government to co-ordinate the various business, political and cultural relations between the Middle East and Australia,” he said, adding that Australian service related industries have also grown as a result of closer ties.
“The Middle East has become increasingly a very important part of Australia’s prosperity into the future, its political and economic relations,” he said, explaining that cultural relations are also being developed with institutions such as the recently opened Islamic Museum of Australia, modelled on the Ministry of Islamic Art in Doha, and an initiative with the Fanar centre here aimed at promoting a better understanding of Islam in Australia, where 400,000 Muslims live.
“The gulf region is very important – we are here to strengthen and enhance the relationship between the region and Australia and I’m very excited to be a part of it,” he added.
Chief executive of the council, Yabsley highlighted the role that Australian education services are playing in the region, expressing his belief that there will be more development in the healthcare and education sectors in the future.
He also said that the focus that Qatar is placing on sport and hosting major sporting events will create a large number of opportunities for Australian companies and organisations to share their expertise and provide services related to these events in the future.
“We were here in the run up to the bid announcement, and this place was pulsating,” he said, “I’ve got to say that our own bid did not have that level of enthusiasm or support.”
He spoke about a number of Australian companies which have already established a presence in Qatar with experience in stadium building and other related activities.
Habsley also expressed his belief that Qatar should have an Australian embassy established here, as diplomatic and economic ties continue to grow.
He explained that an embassy in Doha could also serve the Australian community in Oman, and argued that the establishment of the embassy should be one of the government’s main priorities when looking at expanding relations in the region.
Australia's former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Mark Vaile, led the Australian business delegation to Qatar.
By Peter Townson/Staff Reporter
Australia’s rich natural resources and strong agriculture market mean that future collaboration and investment opportunities between the country and Qatar are plentiful, according to visiting officials, who highlighted their national propensity to deal with two major issues facing the Gulf region, energy and food security.
The Australian Gulf Business Council is currently visiting Qatar during a tour of the region, and Gulf Times spoke to chief executive, Mickael Yabsley, former deputy prime minister of Australia and leader of the business mission, Mark Vaile and chairman of the Council for Arab Australian Relations, Ahmed Fahour.
Some 20 companies are visiting as part of the delegation, with many looking for ways to develop new investment opportunities and begin joint ventures in a number of different areas.
Vaile said: “At the moment, the big focus is in the food security area, and rather than just being buyers and sellers of soft commodities and processed food products, we should be moving that to a higher level and being joint investors in production, logistical supply chains through to the point of consumption, and that’s already started with Hassad Foods in Qatar investing in Australia, but we would like to see more of that.”
Ties between Australia and the Gulf region have been developing strongly in recent years, and in 2010 there were more than 2,000 Australian companies in the area, with trade between the Gulf and Australia at $AU8.74bn.
The first direct flight from the Gulf to Australia was launched from Dubai in 1997, and there are now 1,823 flights a year, which has contributed massively to developing bilateral relations between the region and Australia, argued Vaile.
Fahour also cited an example from Saudi Arabia to indicate just how quickly bilateral relations have grown.
Only ten years ago, there were less than ten students from Saudi Arabia studying in Australia, and now there are over 12,000, he explained.
And he said that the two fundamental areas of concern for countries in the region are securing the future of food and energy for their people.
“Australia has a major advantage, as the two single biggest issues which we are in a terrific position to help the world with are agriculture and energy and resources,” said Fahour, explaining that this is leading to increased interest in two-way investment.
He went on to explain the purpose of the Council for Australian-Arab relations, which is supporting the work of the Australia Gulf Council and trying to encourage increased co-operation in a number of areas.
“We’re a council which was formed by the Australian government to co-ordinate the various business, political and cultural relations between the Middle East and Australia,” he said, adding that Australian service related industries have also grown as a result of closer ties.
“The Middle East has become increasingly a very important part of Australia’s prosperity into the future, its political and economic relations,” he said, explaining that cultural relations are also being developed with institutions such as the recently opened Islamic Museum of Australia, modelled on the Ministry of Islamic Art in Doha, and an initiative with the Fanar centre here aimed at promoting a better understanding of Islam in Australia, where 400,000 Muslims live.
“The gulf region is very important – we are here to strengthen and enhance the relationship between the region and Australia and I’m very excited to be a part of it,” he added.
Chief executive of the council, Yabsley highlighted the role that Australian education services are playing in the region, expressing his belief that there will be more development in the healthcare and education sectors in the future.
He also said that the focus that Qatar is placing on sport and hosting major sporting events will create a large number of opportunities for Australian companies and organisations to share their expertise and provide services related to these events in the future.
“We were here in the run up to the bid announcement, and this place was pulsating,” he said, “I’ve got to say that our own bid did not have that level of enthusiasm or support.”
He spoke about a number of Australian companies which have already established a presence in Qatar with experience in stadium building and other related activities.
Habsley also expressed his belief that Qatar should have an Australian embassy established here, as diplomatic and economic ties continue to grow.
He explained that an embassy in Doha could also serve the Australian community in Oman, and argued that the establishment of the embassy should be one of the government’s main priorities when looking at expanding relations in the region.
