Côte d’Ivoire will host the 5th edition of the Qatar-Africa Business Forum in Abidjan on November 2nd and 3rd, 2026. This major economic event will bring together 95 Qatari companies, more than 300 economic stakeholders, investors, representatives from the World Bank, and other leading international institutions. The forum aims to strengthen economic exchanges, investments, and partnerships between Qatar and African countries.
As part of the preparations for this important event, the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Handicrafts, Kalil Konaté, received His Excellency Mubarak Hussain Al Marri, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Côte d’Ivoire, accompanied by the Embassy’s Second Secretary, Rachid Al Meqareh, in audience on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
During their discussions, the Ambassador reiterated that this meeting reflects the shared desire to strengthen economic relations between Côte d’Ivoire and Qatar. “The Embassy is here to strengthen relations between our two countries, particularly in the area of trade. Despite the excellent state of our diplomatic relations, we wish to increase the volume of trade between our two nations,” he stated. He also emphasized that the two countries already have a robust cooperation framework, marked by the entry into force in 2021 of an economic memorandum of understanding, as well as the signing, on June 10, 2026, of a double taxation avoidance agreement designed to promote investment and facilitate trade between economic operators in both countries.
The Qatar-Africa Business Forum will focus on several strategic sectors, including agriculture, agribusiness, industry, infrastructure, logistics, technology, innovation, hospitality, the creative economy, fashion, handicrafts, film, and food production. At this event, 95 Qatari companies, leading investors, and several international partners will engage with African economic stakeholders to develop sustainable partnerships and create new business opportunities.
Welcoming the selection of Côte d’Ivoire to host this fifth edition, Minister Kalil Konaté reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to making this forum a true driver of industrial development. “We will do everything in our power to ensure that Côte d’Ivoire derives the greatest benefit from this event. Our ambition is to make our country an industrial hub by developing economic zones in the 14 districts in order to process our raw materials locally. I invite Qatari companies to invest in Côte d’Ivoire, a prime destination for investors,” the Minister stated, before assuring His Excellency Mubarak Hussain Al Marri of his teams’ full commitment to ensuring the success of this event, which will open new avenues for economic and industrial cooperation between Côte d’Ivoire, Qatar, and the entire African continent.
