Pakistan has invited Qatari investors to explore opportunities in its Special Economic Zones, with Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan holding a series of meetings in Doha on the sidelines of the World Investment Forum 2026. The engagements took place on October 25 and 26 and brought the minister together with the Secretary-General of the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation, Qatar’s Minister of Municipality, the Chairman of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry and representatives of Retaj Group. According to a statement issued on Tuesday, the meetings focused on strengthening Pakistan’s international trade relations, attracting foreign investment, improving regional connectivity and expanding economic cooperation across key sectors.
In his meeting with the Chairman of the Qatar Chamber, the minister encouraged the Qatari business community to increase business-to-business interaction with Pakistani counterparts and to build stronger people-to-people links, so that the long-standing friendship between the two countries can be turned into tangible commercial opportunities. He invited Qatari investors to look at Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones, particularly the Karachi industrial area, where export-oriented manufacturing and industrial partnerships could give investors access to both domestic and international markets. He also pointed to Pakistan’s strategic geographical position and the potential for investors to reach wider regional markets, including Africa, through improved trade connectivity and supply-chain networks. The Chairman of the Qatar Chamber, for his part, spoke about changing global supply-chain dynamics and expressed interest in the proposed regional transit routes and connectivity initiatives. Both sides agreed that better logistics infrastructure, more diversified supply chains and stronger regional transport links could help reduce commercial barriers and open new markets for businesses in the two countries.
As part of his meetings with Qatar’s private sector, the minister also met representatives of Retaj Group to discuss possible cooperation in the hospitality and tourism industries. Retaj Group expressed interest in exploring joint ventures with Pakistani business partners and in examining opportunities to expand its hospitality brands into Pakistan and other Islamic countries. The discussions centered on potential investment partnerships and the development of the hospitality sector, with both sides recognizing that cooperation in hospitality and tourism could encourage private investment, create new commercial opportunities and strengthen economic ties between Pakistan and Qatar. The statement did not mention any specific projects, locations or investment amounts, so the scale of any future partnership remains to be seen.
On October 25, Jam Kamal Khan also met the Secretary-General of the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation to discuss measures to deepen economic integration and speed up trade among member countries. The Secretary-General appreciated Pakistan’s continued support for the organisation and highlighted the importance of implementing the D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement following its ratification by Egypt. Both sides stressed the need to turn existing cooperation frameworks into practical commercial opportunities through greater private-sector participation, improved market access and stronger trade linkages among member states, and the minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting initiatives that facilitate trade and encourage investment within the D-8 framework. On October 26, he met Qatar’s Minister of Municipality to discuss cooperation in agriculture, food security and bilateral trade. The two sides exchanged views on strengthening commercial relations and promoting institutional and business-level engagement in agricultural development and food supply chains, and agreed that closer collaboration between government institutions and private-sector stakeholders could help identify practical areas of cooperation and support mutually beneficial partnerships.
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