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R E P O R T:
Exploratory Business Trip to Doha, Qatar on the Occasion of the Soft Opening of the
Austrian Embassy and Trade Department, 10-13 December 2011
From left: H.E. Dr. Khalid Al-Attiyah, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Qatar – H.E. Mr. Abdullah Falah Al-Dosari, Ambassador of Qatar in Geneve – H.E. Mr. Ali Khalfan Al-Mansouri, Representative of Qatar in Austria – Dr. Wolfgang Waldner, Austrian State Secretary for European and International Affairs – H.E. Dr. Heinz Fischer, Austrian Federal President
In joint cooperation with the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO) and the Society for Austro-Arab Relations (GÖAB), the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce (AACC) had the honour to lead an Austrian trade delegation to Qatar from December 10th to December 13th 2011. On the occasion of the festive soft opening of the Austrian Embassy and the Trade Department in Qatar’s capital Doha and in the presence of a great number of both, official and business representatives from Austria and Qatar, the Austrian Foreign Ministry appointed an Austrian Ambassador and a Chargé d’Affaires to the State of Qatar.
On December 12th 2011, Dr. Heinz FISCHER, Federal President of the Republic of Austria, Dr. Wolfgang WALDNER, State Secretary of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, and H.E. Dr. Khalid bin Mohamed AL-ATTIYAH, Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, inaugurated the Austrian Embassy and the Trade Department in the Tornado Tower in Doha. Among the high ranking attendants were also Mag. Andreas SCHIEDER, State Secretary of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance, Dr. Richard SCHENZ, President of the AACC, Vice-President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, and Councillor Nabil KUZBARI, Vice-President of the AACC and H.E. Ambassador Ali Khalfan AL-MANSOURI, Representative of the State of Qatar in Austria.
The opening speeches referred to the excellent relationship and intense cooperation between Austria and Qatar with a clear commitment to even intensify the established relationships in all respects. In his speech, H.E. Dr. Khalid bin Mohamed AL-ATTIYAH, expressed his extensive gratitude to Councillor Nabil KUZBARI for his strenuous efforts concerning the establishment of the Embassy and its soft opening. More than 70 participants from the industry sector and politics and diplomatic representatives were invited to take part in this exclusive event, among them Dr. Gerhard ROISS, Director General of OMV, and MMag. Andrea RAFFASEDER, Member of the Executive Board of VAMED Group, and many others.
Behind from left: Mag. Andreas Schieder, Austrian State Secretary for Finance – H.E. Sheikh Khalifa Al Thani, President of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry – H.E. Dr. Heinz Fischer, Austrian Federal President – Senator Dr. Richard Schenz, President of AACC – Mag. Gerd Bommer, Regional Manager Außenwirtschaft Österreich // Others: Qatari and Austrian representatives to sign a mobility cooperation agreement
Following the soft opening as another highlight on the programme’s agenda, the Qatar Austria Business Forum was held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Doha with opening speeches and key remarks by Dr. Heinz FISCHER, Mag. Andreas SCHIEDER, Dr. Richard SCHENZ, as well as Dr. Walter KOREN, Head of the “Außenwirtschaft Österreich” and H.E. Sheikh Khalifa AL THANI, the President of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Dipl.-Eng. Mouddar KHOUJA, the Secretary General of the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce, seized the favourable opportunity to present the members of the AACC trade delegation to the attending stakeholders and entrepreneurs. At the end of the Forum, the Austrian and Qatari delegation members were invited to take part in the networking event.
One day before the opening and the Forum, on December 11th 2011, a part of the Austrian trade delegation paid a visit to H.E. Sheikh Abdulrahman Bin Khalifa AL THANI, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning of the State of Qatar, in his office. The AACC took this unique opportunity to present Austria in general and Vienna in particular as a global leading reference and standard in terms of life quality by mentioning criteria of urban development and construction, as well as public transportation, among many others.
From left: Senator Dr. Richard Schenz, President Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce – H.E. Sheikh Abdulrahman Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatari Minister of Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning – Eng. Mouddar Khouja, Secretary General of AACC – Mr. Fritz Edlinger, Secretary General of Society of Austro-Arab Relations – Mag. Andreas Schieder, Austrian State Secretary of Finance
Other meetings during the high-level programme included visits to the Qatar Science and Technology Park, to ASHGHAL – Public Works Authority and the Qatar Railways Development Corporation.
Headed by State Secretary Mag. Andreas SCHIEDER and AACC President Dr. Richard SCHENZ, organised by the AACC in joint cooperation with Mr. Fritz EDLINGER, Secretary General of the Society of Austro-Arab Relations, Dr. Wolfgang PENZIAS, Austrian Commercial Counsellor in Abu Dhabi and Mag. Gerd BOMMER, Regional Manager and designated Austrian Commercial Counsellor in Doha (both representing the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber), and compiled of more than 65 delegates, this Exploratory Business Trip to Doha turned out to be the biggest trade delegation to an Arab country in Austria’s long history. The participating representatives of official institutions, companies and stakeholders from both the Austrian and the Qatari side lead the event in Qatar, one of the economically most important Arab Gulf countries, to a great success for both sides.
The exclusive delegation of the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce (AACC), headed by its President Dr. Richard SCHENZ, Vice-President Councillor Nabil KUZBARI and coordinated by Secretary General Dipl.-Eng. Mouddar KHOUJA, was compiled of Former Minister of Defence Mr. Herbert SCHEIBNER; Prof. Reinhart GAUSTERER, Director General, and Mag. Andreas ZECHMANN, International Sales Manager of the Oesterreichische Staatsdruckerei; Dr. Max HUBER, CEO Dr. Max Huber GesmbH; Dipl.-Ing. Talik CHALABI, Managing Director, Chalabi Architekten&Partner ZT GmbH; Mag. Christoph ARTNER, CEO, and Mr. Andreas PAULY, Management Advisor, IASON GmbH; Dr. Harald RAFFAY, Consultant, Vimpex GmbH; and Mr. Fazlollah ROSTAMIAN, CEO Tecs GmbH.
From left: Captain Helmut Kaar – Dr. Ernst Huber, Head of President’s Office at WKO – Prof. Reinhart Gausterer, Director General Oesterreichische Staatsdruckerei – Senator Dr. Richard Schenz, President AACC – KommR Nabil Kuzbari, Vice-President AACC – Dipl.-Eng. Mouddar Khouja, Secretary General AACC – Former Minister Mr. Herbert Scheibner, Member of Austrian Parliament
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