Sunday Times 2
Lankan mission in bid to woo Qatar’s investors
View(s):A major investment seminar will take off today in Qatar’s capital, Doha, to promote bilateral trade and attract Qatari investors.Organised by Sri Lanka’s embassy in collaboration with the Doha Bank, the seminar at the Doha Bank auditorium will be attended by several Qatari sheiks, mega tycoons and heads of major investment companies, besides key Sri Lankan ministers and officials.
Sri Lanka’s ambassador Dr. W.M. Karunadasa said the seminar, which was one of his initiatives, would be a gateway for Qatari business community to invest in Sri Lanka. He said the seminar would also promote tourism and cultural relations between the two countries. The ambassador, who will be returning to Sri Lanka prematurely, said many Qataris had little knowledge about Sri Lanka’s tourism attractions and therefore the seminar would have a special segment on tourism.
The seminar will be addressed by City Planning Minister Rauff Hakeem and Public Enterprise Development Minister Kabir Hashim. Board of Investment Director General Duminda Ariyasinghe will make a presentation on ‘Sri Lanka on the Rise: Your Destination for Investments” and Megapolis Ministry’s investment chief Nayana Mawilmada will speak on ‘Developing Smart Business Infrastructure: Opportunities for Qatari investors’. Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Director Upali Ratnayake will talk about investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism sector while Export Development Bank Chairperson Indira Malwatte’s presentation will focus on ‘profitable business partnerships’ between Sri Lanka and Qatar.