Yesterday, Thursday, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry launched the activities of the National Product Week initiative, which is held under the slogan “From us and in us – from the land of Qatar the story began.” The initiative aims to raise awareness of the importance of national industries, and encourage consumers to turn to national products in various sectors, thus contributing to supporting sustainable development, localizing supply chains, and enhancing self-sufficiency and economic diversification efforts.
In his opening speech, His Excellency Mr. Saleh Majid Al-Khulaifi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industry Affairs and Business Development at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, stressed the importance of this initiative in supporting the growth of the industrial sector, enhancing the presence of the national product in the markets, and establishing a culture of demand for Qatari products, in a way that supports achieving the goals of economic diversification, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, the Third National Development Strategy, and the Qatar National Strategy for Manufacturing Industries 2024-2030.
He pointed out that the importance of the national industry became particularly prominent during the recent regional crisis and the accompanying disruptions in supply chains, as Qatari factories demonstrated their ability to continue production and respond to the increasing demand for basic goods, which contributed to supporting the stability of local markets and ensuring the continuity of supplies.
Enhancing the competitiveness of national products
For his part, Dr. Muhammad Ahmed Al-Bou Hashem Al-Sayed, Director of the National Product Competitiveness Support Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, confirmed that the initiative comes within the framework of the Ministry’s efforts aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of national products and supporting their presence in the markets, indicating that the Ministry is working to adopt an integrated system that begins with studying the reality of national industries and the challenges they face, and developing initiatives and solutions that support their ability to compete and grow, in coordination with the relevant authorities.
He explained that the Ministry’s efforts include protecting the national industry from harmful commercial practices and unfair competition, by implementing trade remedies mechanisms, in addition to raising the level of awareness in the industrial sector of these practices and available protection mechanisms, in a way that supports the ability of national products to compete in the markets.
He pointed out that the results of previous sessions of the National Product Week showed a positive impact of the initiative, as some participating sales outlets recorded an increase in sales of national products by up to 75% during the year 2025, which reflects the importance of promotional initiatives in stimulating demand for Qatari products and enhancing their presence in the markets.
The opening ceremony, which was attended by a number of representatives of government agencies and the private sector, witnessed a visual presentation on the national product, in addition to the organization of workshops presented by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Finance and Qatar Development Bank, with the participation of a number of interested people, specialists and experts, to discuss a group of topics and issues related to national products. The events also included pavilions for participating factories, which provided an opportunity to learn about a variety of Qatari products.
Three outlets were opened to sell Qatari products: Lulu Hypermarket in Al Gharafa, Monoprix in Place Vendôme, and Al Meera in Ain Khaled, with two additional outlets to be opened today, Friday, namely Carrefour in the City Center Mall, and Al Rawabi in Al Gharafa. The initiative also includes organizing field visits for school students to national factories, in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, during the next week.
The initiative highlights the success stories of Qatari companies and their products in various sectors. It also highlights efforts to localize supply chains and support self-sufficiency and economic diversification, in addition to motivating small and medium-sized companies to grow and expand in local and global markets.