Qatar's Non-Oil Exports Hit QR18.3 Billion in Nine Months

Doha, October 27 (QNA) - Qatar's non-oil exports have reached QR 18.032 Billion in the first nine months of 2018, a 36.5% year-on-year growth over QR13.02 Billion recorded in the same period of 2017. Non-oil exports in September 2018 reached QR1.642 Billion, a 4.6% increase compared to the QR1.570 Billion reported in September 2017, said the report, which was based on 3015 certificates of origin issued in September this year by Qatar Chamber's Research & Studies Department and Member Affairs Department. The report said that the 3015 certificates of origin issued during last September included 2718 general model certificates, 130 unified certificates for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (industrial), 148 unified Arab certificates of origin, 18 certificates of origin for preferences and one unified certificate to Singapore. Saleh bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Director General of Qatar Chamber, eluded the growth of exports in September, noting that the chamber is highly supports locally-manufactured products and is exerting great efforts to find new export outlets worldwide. He pointed to the facilities and incentives offered by the country to boost investments at all productive sectors with the aim to achieving the anticipated self-sufficiency and increasing Qatar's exports abroad. These facilities contributed to increasing the non-oil exports which witnessed rapid surge, he added. The report pointed to the trend of non-oil exports to 60 countries during September 2018 compared to 59 countries during August, with 13 Arab countries, including the GCC countries and 15 European countries including Turkey and 16 Asian countries except for the Arab countries and 14 African countries except for the Arab countries and two North American countries. According to the report, Oman topped the list of non-oil exporting countries in September 2018 with a total exports of QR 689 million, representing 42.1% of the total value of non-oil exports during the month, followed by the Hong Kong with total exports of QR 235 million (14.4 percent). In third place was Singapore with QR 151 million (9.2 percent) and India QR 90 Million (5.5 percent). Lebanon ranked fifth with exports amounting to QR 67 million (4.1 percent) of the total value of non-oil exports in September 2018. China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Turkey and Germany came in different values and percentages respectively, where the first ten countries accounted for 87.8 percent of total non-oil exports in the said month. On the other hand, the GCC countries (Sultanate of Oman and Kuwait) topped the blocs and the economic groups receiving the Qatari non-oil exports during September 2018 with total exports amounting to about QR 700.458 million, then the group of Asian countries excluding Arab countries with exports worth about QR 666.5.5 million. The Group of Arab countries, excluding the GCC countries, came in the third place with total exports amounting to QR 147.335 million, followed by the group of European countries, including Turkey with total value of exports amounting to about QR 90.246 million, followed by the African countries except the Arab countries and the South American countries with varying values. (QNA)