Tehran, Iran, May 27
By Kamyar Eghbalnejad - Trend:
Qatar currently is in need of more cement, steel, and construction and engineering services almost a year after the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain imposed an embargo on Doha, accusing it of supporting terrorism, an official with Iran’s chamber of commerce said.
Qatar’s construction industry is witnessing a boom as the Arab country is scheduled to play host to the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup in 2022, Khosro Forooghan Geransayeh, head of chamber’s trade committee, told the Trend news agency in an exclusive interview on May 27.
Therefore, Doha needs more steel and cement to address its construction and civil engineering demand, he added.
Forooghan Geransayeh said Iran is exporting cement to Qatar via its southern port city of Dayyer in Bushehr, which is only 150 miles away from the Arab country.
He described Iran’s exports of fruits to the country as one of Tehran’s successful experiences after the sanctions were imposed on Doha by the four countries.
“Iran's trade with Qatar currently enjoys a better status given the new conditions (set by Qatar) for visa regulation and firm registration”, Geransayeh said.
One of the major obstacles on the path of Iran-Qatar bilateral ties is Iran’s existing exporting regulations that need to be amended.
The four states cut diplomatic and transport ties last June. Qatar, which had many of its imports trans-shipped from the UAE and received the bulk of its fresh food across the Saudi border, denied the accusations against it.
Imports into Qatar plunged about 40 percent from a year earlier in the initial weeks of the boycott, but they have since mostly returned to normal as Doha has found new sources of products in countries such as Iran and Turkey, and developed new shipping routes through places such as Oman. Qatar has also launched a drive to produce more things locally, including foods.
Since last June, some foods and other products from the embargo states have continued to find their way into Qatar through third countries.
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