MOTC hosts e-Commerce forum

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Tuesday, April 17, 2018

MOTC hosts e-Commerce forum

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Doha - Qatar

The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) has announced comprehensive guidelines for e-Commerce in the country as part of a ground-breaking model to be followed across the region.

Speaking at the Qatar e-Commerce Forum 2018 organized by the Ministry on Tuesday, the Minister of Transport and Communications HE Jassim bin Saif al Sulaiti said the guidelines will help merchants through all touchpoints involved in starting and implementing a successful e-Commerce business. The guidelines are the result of a collaborative effort between local, regional, and international stakeholders across the entire e-Commerce value chain – from product creation to consumer receipt.

"Our local system needs to rise to the challenge and provide the range of services required to drive e-Commerce and take advantage of the potential for the state and invest it to the maximum extent possible," the minister added. "We are seeing increasing numbers of companies seeking to provide e-Commerce domestically, with strong performance, especially in the service sector, and the pace is growing as private car transport, food delivery and local transport services become easier and more efficient," he noted.

The value of the country’s e-Commerce market is expected to triple by 2022 as more companies in Qatar adapt to digital technology, he said. Citing official figures, the minister noted that total global e-Commerce from companies to consumers reached $2.2tn in 2017. In Qatar, the e-Commerce market is expected to grow from $1.3bn in 2017 to $3.2bn by 2022, al-Sulaiti added.

The minister also stressed that Qatar’s efforts in the field of digital technology accelerated Qatar’s international rankings in e-Commerce by 15 points from 2015, citing a 2017 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) report. “Local encouragement of startups plays a role in creating innovative solutions to the unique needs of consumers in Qatar… the more we can meet those needs, the more the e-Commerce market in Qatar thrives,” al-Sulaiti said.

By the end of 2018, al-Sulaiti also said the ministry will launch the ‘Trustmark’; an innovative project that aims to enhance consumer confidence in Qatar’s e-Commerce sector.

“The ministry is making a great effort to create strategic partnerships with local and international entities to help local small and medium-sized enterprises expand their markets and access the latest technology achievements,” he said, adding, “the spread of e-Commerce increases its contribution to economic development, providing better corporate access to consumers, improving business efficiency, expanding trade and investment opportunities, and fostering innovation, diversity and competitiveness.”

The event was attended by Qatar Central Bank Governor Sheikh Abdulla bin Saoud al Thani, Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar al Baker, Ooredoo CEO Waleed Mohamed al Sayed, Qatar Development Bank CEO Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Khalifa and Q-Post Chairman Faleh al Naemi, representatives of global leaders in e-Commerce and senior officials of MOTC.

Representatives of popular e-Commerce companies from Switzerland, Malaysia, Belgium and Turkey presented their innovative ideas and experiences at different sessions of the event. Twenty-two local e-Commerce companies participated in a road show organized on the occasion.