The 18th International Construction Technology and Building Materials Exhibition, Project Qatar 2022 and Hospitality Qatar, the 7th international hospitality and HORECA Exhibition 2022, culminated on a high note with 17,000 visitors, including many international trade delegations, from construction and hospitality sectors participating in the event at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC).
The event, which was held from June 6 to June 9, 2022, served as a platform for numerous opportunities, with certified conference sessions and dedicated trainings to support the continuous development of Qatar.
Speaking about Qatar’s construction market, about USD 80 Bn (QR 291 Bn) of the country’s projects, which are in pipeline, are destined for new developments, accounting for a large portion of overall investment. Whereas the hospitality sector in the country is bound to witness a surge in the demand with the supply of hotel rooms amongst other categories, exceeding 44,000 rooms by the end of 2022 – almost a 50 per cent growth from the current supply of 30,000, offering opportunities unmatched by any other market in the world.
Project Qatar and Hospitality Qatar gathered the construction, tourism and hospitality market’s main buyer groups under one roof, including government entities, private investors, and project owners to facilitate the need for new ventures, developments and opportunities that will make Qatar ready for the upcoming grand events.
Haidar Mshaimesh, General Manager of IFP Qatar, said: “We are proud of the successful culmination of the two big events – Project Qatar and Hospitality Qatar 2022, which is the first combined exhibition that created opportunities for entities and exhibitors to network and build alliances in the construction and hospitality sectors on a larger scale. We appreciate the support of the government, sponsors, and the exhibitors for making this event a success.”
Mshaimesh added: “The two most prominent exhibitions are a testament to the opportunities created for entities and exhibitors to act upon and build alliances, strengthening the construction and hospitality sectors in Qatar ahead of the FIFA world cup. Through Project Qatar, top manufacturers, distributors, and contractors got an opportunity to engage with their counterparts. We are happy to see positive outcomes of these fruitful interactions.”
Project Qatar awarded the “Excellence in Stand design and build” certificates to a selected group of exhibitors in recognition of the best practices demonstrated by them through their stands in the event..
The accurately themed event – ‘One Show, Multiple Opportunities’ – was the last major international trade event before Qatar hosts the FIFA World Cup 2022. Over 300 exhibiting companies, from over 180 global firms, seven of which participated in official national pavilions, along with 120 Qatari companies from major government and semi-governmental agencies and prominent private sector entities benefited from this mega project.
Among the participants, a large delegation of more than 25 members of the National Real Estate Committee in the Federation of Saudi Chambers also participated in the event. This was the highest commercial delegation from Saudi Arabia’s private sector to visit Qatar since relations returned to normal between the two countries.
While the first day of the conference highlighted some of the latest and upcoming development and hospitality initiatives taken by Qatar under the theme ‘Past, Present and Future’, the theme on the second day centred on supporting the future of Qatar, providing solutions and ideas to business to help drive sustainability in the hospitality and construction sectors.
Day three concluded with the theme ‘Smart City Qatar- A Look into the Future of Smart Cities’. Among numerous talks that were held, some of the few headlined dynamic crowd modelling to design smart pedestrian spaces, AI for smarter and more efficient road infrastructure and operations, optimising FM &digital spaces with the “smarts” of AI & IoT, and ‘The Perfect Place to Stay – The Smart Hotel’ amongst many other.
A special Salon Culinaire competition was also held during the event to test the skills of chefs from across Qatar in a live and buzzing show environment. This set a platform to highlight the fantastic and exciting gastronomic skills that the industry has to offer. ‘Invest in Qatar – Beyond 2022’, a special session was held with IPA QATAR focusing on promoting and encouraging foreigners to invest in Qatar, an exceptional investment destination for lucrative business opportunities that support their long-term success, while bringing progress to the country’s economic development and diversification goals across sectors and geographies.
Another unique initiative, the Hosted Buyers Program, which is Hospitality Qatar’s dedicated B2B platform, was highlighted during the event. The program facilitates business undertakings and maximizes return on investment for participants, through expansion of their business networks and signing agreements on the spot.
In parallel to Project Qatar and Hospitality Qatar, MEGA Projects Qatar Conference 2022 also took place from 6-9 June in Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC) with exclusive Certified Conference Sessions and Dedicated Trainings to support the Continuous Development of all people involved in Qatar.
Both annual events will be back in 2023, promising new developments and wider industry participation. The events will continue providing significant support to Qatar’s sustainable development goals and contribute to its economic progress.