This year marks yet another milestone in the history of our company as we celebrate our 10th anniversary in Qatar. Our success over the last 10 years truly mirrors the growth story of Qatar and we anticipate that the next decade will see significantly more growth as the government continues to enhance the country’s business environment.

With its pro-business environment and fast-growing economy, Qatar continues to present attractive opportunities for businesses wanting to stimulate their home markets. As the country’s legislative and business environment becomes more efficient and aligned with international standards, we expect investment flow into the country will gather significant momentum.

At Links Group we have witnessed how recent government initiatives have already helped to pique investment interest among foreign companies. Construction firms, in particular, have been encouraged by the Qatari Ministry of Finance’s decision to launch a new website to announce all future government tenders in an effort to improve market transparency in the public procurement process.

Additionally, plans to pass a law to introduce the use of public-private partnerships (PPPs) by the end of 2016 is also believed to be a positive move which will likely attract further foreign investment. PPPs are seen as a feasible alternative to more traditional procurement models and will allow private investors to take stakes in projects, along with the government bearing part of the risk and sharing profits.

While the Qatari Government remains committed to supporting and developing local enterprise, it also recognises the importance of bringing in external manpower and expertise to achieve ongoing, sustainable growth. We are experiencing more interest from foreign investors looking to expand to and establish a commercial presence in Qatar. As the oil and gas sector continues to dominate the local economy, the leadership remains committed to its diversification agenda and recognises the need for foreign expertise to support this. Links Group is well placed to support this interest.