'Public-private partnerships play integral role to enable Qatar's transformation'

07/04/2025 02:47 AST

Qatar is looking ahead to an era of transformation and growth, guided by Third National Development Strategy ( NDS-3). The journey has been remarkable, from being a predominantly hydrocarbon-based economy to now standing on the cusp of a diversified and knowledge-based one, said an official.

In an interview with The Peninsula, Bassam Hajhamad, Qatar Country Senior Partner and Consulting Lead, PwC Middle East highlighted Qatar's diversification efforts and the recently held National Development Forum.

The National Development Forum is a catalyst for strategic alignment between the public and private sectors. As Qatar enters a new chapter under its Third National Development Strategy, the forum has helped shift private sector engagement to becoming more proactive, with clear pathways to co-create national outcomes, Hajhamad said.

As part of NDS-3, public-private partnerships (PPPs) play an integral role in enabling the country's transformation. Therefore, Qatar's National Development Forum comes at a strategic time in the country's transformation journey, acting as a valuable platform that strengthens PPPs to support Qatar's strategic objectives under NDS-3.

By bringing together key stakeholders, including government institutions, local enterprises, and international partners, the forum creates an enabling environment for increased private sector participation in national development. This collaboration is essential for leveraging private sector expertise, resources, and innovation to achieve NDS-3 targets, he added.

This engagement has also enabled the private sector to advance its strategies and further align its operations more closely with national goals, with practical discussions around policy reforms, commercial licensing, and investment opportunities translating concrete outcomes on the ground.

Additionally, the forum's impact is seen through its support for sector-specific initiatives, ranging from healthcare and education to tourism and LNG production, which contributes to the country's economic diversification and job creation efforts, while also facilitating innovation and investment led-growth. These initiatives facilitate innovation and investment-led growth, ensuring that the private sector plays a transformative role in Qatar's economic development.

Hajhamad further noted that the National Development Forum plays a central role in enabling organisations to contribute to the realisation of Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030) through structured community dialogue and collaborative policy design. By providing space for inclusive discussions on development priorities, the forum ensures alignment between public aspirations and institutional planning.

The Peninsula