Tehran to Host 7th Session of Economic Commission With Qatar

Iran's Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian made the announcement on Sunday in the Iranian capital city on the sidelines of the meetings of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his accompanying delegation with Iranian officials, IRNA reported.

“An exhibition and a conference on investment opportunities between Iran and Qatar are slated to be held on the sidelines of the joint commission meeting,” Financial Tribune quoted Ardakanian as saying.

According to the minister, Iranian and Qatari officials emphasized bilateral collaboration in tourism sector during their meetings in Tehran.

He also noted that Iranian officials encouraged Qatari investors to participate in constructing hotels in Iran and utilize its capacities in agricultural industries.

Hamid Zadboum, the head of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, told ILNA that the upcoming commission session will be held in the presence of Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Ahmed Al-Kuwari.

Iran’s Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade is responsible for organizing the summit.

The Qatari emir visited Iran on Sunday to meet senior Iranian officials, including President Hassan Rouhani, amid efforts by regional countries to alleviate tensions between Iran and the United States.

Economically Drawn Closer

Iran and Qatar have been forging stronger economic ties ever since a number of Arab states led by Saudi Arabia abruptly severed diplomatic relations with Doha in June 2017 and imposed a blockade on the Persian Gulf country, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups. 

The Qatari government has denied the allegation as baseless, blasting the blockade as unjustified and a violation of international law. Following the development, Iranian exporters have vied for the Qatari market in the absence of Doha's traditional Arab partners.

Qatar shares the world's largest natural gas field with Iran.

Qatar's Ambassador to Iran Ali bin Hamad al-Sulaiti thanked Tehran for its assistance to Doha after diplomatic and economic sanctions were imposed on Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran pioneered aid and humanitarian assistance to the Qatari government and tried to reduce the negative impacts of the siege on Qatari citizens. It opened its airspace to Qatari planes and rapidly sent foodstuff to make up for the abrupt cut in export of goods by the four countries. It also provided a passage for transferring goods by many countries to the Qatari government,” Sulaiti wrote in a memo.

Weeks after the United States imposed unilateral sanctions against Iran last year, Qatar Airways announced plans to expand operations in Iran.

Qatar Airways started a direct flight between Doha and Isfahan on Feb. 4, 2019.

The state-owned flag carrier of Qatar now operates two flights a week on Mondays and Fridays using an Airbus A320 from Doha international Airport to Isfahan International Airport.

Qatar Airways is among top 10 airlines capable of connecting Isfahan airport to 160 destinations across the world. Isfahan's Shahid Beheshti Airport is the fourth Iranian airport hosting planes from the Qatari flagship airliner. 

In fact, Qatar Airways' new route to Isfahan comes on top of the airline's other Iranian destinations, namely Tehran, Shiraz and Mashhad.

The new service features 12 seats in Business Class and 132 seats in Economy Class.

Qatar Airways has flights to Europe, North and South America, Central Asia, Far East, Oceania and Africa.

Isfahan International Airport currently has flights to Najaf, Baghdad, Iraq, Kuwait City, Dubai, Istanbul and Tbilisi.

“With its incredible, age-old architecture and bustling traditional bazaars, we are thrilled to announce Isfahan as Qatar Airways’ fourth-service gateway into Iran. Isfahan is a city that is not only steeped in history, but one that has also emerged in recent years to combine its rich cultural heritage with modernity, making it one of Iran’s most fascinating, colorful and lively places for international visitors. We are also delighted to announce that we are increasing our weekly services to both Shiraz and Tehran in January,” Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker has been quoted as saying.

“These latest launches are further evidence of Qatar Airways’ commitment to Iran, as well as the expansion of our network in this thriving market to provide greater connectivity to both business and leisure passengers alike,” he was quoted as saying by Qatar's daily newspaper The Peninsula.

Qatar Airways has operated flights to Tehran since 2004 and, with the introduction of the two extra flights, the airline now operates a total of 20 weekly non-stop flights from Doha.

Iran grants tourist visas to holders of Qatari passports upon arrival at Iranian airports. 

Qatari nationals can obtain a single or multiple-entry visa by Iran’s mbassy in Doha, to avoid occasional delays at the arrival gate in case of crowding at the airport’s visa office.