DOHA: Minister of Commerce and Industry H E Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani participated in the eighth Bloomberg New Economy Forum, held in New Delhi, India, from 13 to 15 October 2026. The forum brought together the Prime Minister of India, heads of state and government, ministers, and more than 500 public and private sector leaders from around the world.
He took part in a panel discussion titled “Resilience Amid Turbulence: Building Economies Where Business Thrives” alongside Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises. The session was moderated by Francine Lacqua, an anchor at Bloomberg Television.
The discussion examined how governments can create conditions for private sector growth and strengthen their economies’ resilience and ability to attract investment amid shifts in the global economy. During the session, Sheikh Faisal said that Qatar’s strong economic fundamentals, business-friendly regulatory environment, prudent fiscal policies and sustained investment in infrastructure are central to attracting investment and maintaining investor confidence.
Addressing regional challenges, he said Qatar had continued to find ways to secure essential supplies and maintain the movement of goods into and out of the country despite the impact on the oil and gas sector. He noted that strategic food stocks had risen by 40% since the start of the crisis.
Sheikh Faisal said investors can distinguish temporary disruptions from structural challenges. He pointed to the registration of more than 5,000 foreign-owned companies in Doha over the past three months, alongside foreign investment inflows into Qatar’s capital markets during the same period.
On the business environment, he stressed the importance of listening to the private sector and responding quickly to regulatory obstacles. He discussed efforts to simplify procedures and work on legislation that would expand foreign ownership across most sectors. In his capacity as Chair of the Companies House Advisory Council, he also outlined its role as a single point of access for foreign investors seeking registration, licensing and services related to tax, immigration and labour matters across Qatar’s economic zones.
Discussing the private sector’s role in economic growth, Sheikh Faisal emphasised the need for clear frameworks governing partnerships with the public sector. As Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Doha Investment, he described its role as an active local partner for international investors entering the Qatari market, supporting private sector growth and allowing businesses to lead projects. He also highlighted opportunities for private sector participation in education, healthcare and manufacturing, in line with the National Development Strategy, as well as the potential to make certain non-strategic assets available to private investors to deepen capital markets.
He further discussed opportunities to develop data centres. He noted that the growing importance of data sovereignty and domestic data storage is driving expansion in the sector worldwide, while Qatar’s energy resources provide an advantage in its development.
On the global economy, Sheikh Faisal observed that the degree of interdependence between countries and markets makes a return to isolation difficult.
Sheikh Faisal’s participation forms part of efforts to expand Qatar’s international economic partnerships, present its investment opportunities and strengthen engagement with global businesses and financial institutions. These efforts support the attraction of high-value investment, private sector development and economic diversification in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.
This year’s forum is held under the theme “A World in Play: Defining the New Levers of Power.” Its programme explores how geopolitical shifts, technological advances and changing supply chains are reshaping trade and capital flows, alongside developments in energy, critical minerals and payment systems.
