The idea of a business council between Qatar and Australia to boost mutual trade and investment was proposed during the meeting.

Representatives of the Qatar Chamber and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry met on Monday to discuss ways to enhance trade and investment cooperation between the private sectors of both countries.

Qatar Chamber’s Second Vice Chairman, Rashid bin Hamad Al-Athba, hosted Lyall Gorman, vice president of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, at the Chamber’s headquarters in Doha.

Al-Athba took the occasion to note Qatari businessmen’s growing interest in exploring investment opportunities in Australia and the subsequent incentives, the Chamber said in a statement.

“He emphasised the importance of continued collaboration with the Australian Chamber to bring the business communities of both countries closer,” the statement added.

The two bodies had signed an agreement last year, which aimed at boosting coordination through the exchange of information related to business, trade and investment.

Similarly, organising joint events to facilitate private business owners to gaze at the local markets of both countries was also on the agreement’s agenda.

Gorman, for his part, called on Qatari investors to explore investment opportunities in his country during the meeting.

The Vice President of the Australian Chamber also expressed “a strong interest” in establishing a Qatari-Australian Business Council to further encourage companies to participate in the trade exchange between the two nations, according to the statement.

“He affirmed the Australian Chamber’s commitment to activating the cooperation agreement,” Qatar Chamber’s statement read.

The meeting was also attended by Ali Saeed Bu Sharbak Al-Mansori, the Acting Director General of the Qatar Chamber, who emphasised on increasing the number of mutual business visits.

“He noted the Qatari private sector’s keen interest in learning more about investment prospects in Australia, particularly in sectors such as tourism, digital transformation, services, and others,” the statement added.

A major breakthrough in the bilateral exchange between the two nations came in February, when Qatar Airways’ purchase of a 25 per cent stake in Virgin Australia was approved by the Treasurer Jim Chalmer and the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board, following an earlier clearance from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).