NEWS
PwC in Qatar accelerates SMEs in support of National Development Strategy
As Qatar redefines growth under its third National Development Strategy, NDS-3, PwC Middle East brought together local CEOs and SME leaders to unlock new opportunities for SME innovation, resilience and long-term impact. The session underscored the critical role SMEs play in driving economic growth, and the importance of robust public-private partnerships, PPPs in enabling the advancement of local businesses.
Held at PwC’ s Doha office, the gathering served as a platform for aligning private sector ambitions with national priorities, reinforcing the essential role of SMEs in achieving economic transformation. The event marked another milestone in PwC Middle East’ s long-term strategy to act as a catalyst for public-private collaboration and to drive value creation across key sectors.
PwC leaders shared forward-thinking insights, from market dynamics to digital reinvention, emphasising the critical role of data, AI, and strategic funding in unlocking SME potential. The discussion highlighted
how resilient business models and bold digital shifts can help SMEs adapt and lead in a rapidly evolving economic landscape.
As a strategic partner of both public and private sectors in Qatar, PwC Middle East in Qatar is committed to helping SMEs adapt and lead. Through strong collaboration and deep expertise, we aim to accelerate progress so businesses can continue shaping the future with confidence.
“ SMEs are at the heart of Qatar’ s transformation,” said Bassam Hajhamad, Qatar Country Senior Partner and Consulting Lead at PwC Middle East.“ We are here to fuel that momentum, bringing leaders together to spark bold ideas, share practical insights, and accelerate progress. By creating a space and platform for real dialogue and collaboration, we’ re helping business leaders turn ambition into impact, aligned with the goals of NDS-3.”
Germany initiates digitalisation campaign featuring Emma, an AI travel companion
The German National Tourist Office GCC, announced that GCC visitors to Germany have grown steadily to over 489,689 in 2024, year-on-year increase of 1.2 % and an impressive 21 % increase when compared with the total visitor numbers in 2022.
Germany’ s digitalisation campaign, featuring Emma – the new state-ofthe-art AI travel companion – shines a spotlight on the country’ s top destinations through innovative travel experiences. The # EmmaTravelsGermany initiative seamlessly blends technology with culture, positioning Germany as a must-visit destination for modern travellers.
Yamina Sofo, Director at the German National Tourist Office GCC, an affiliate of the German National Tourist Board, commented,“ We have now witnessed considerable growth in visitor numbers from the GCC countries since the end of the pandemic.
These figures underscore Germany’ s increasing post pandemic popularity with GCC visitors and bodes well for 2025.
With direct flights from the GCC countries to Munich, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Hannover, Stuttgart, Cologne and Hamburg, this year we want to encourage GCC residents to visit Germany and experience our diverse year-round tourism offering.
Luis Monreal, Senior Director Sales Middle East Lufthansa Group Airlines, commented,“ Lufthansa, as a premium carrier, offers stable and year-round connections to Frankfurt and Munich from Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam. Our value-airline Eurowings is expanding substantially since 2023 in the GCC by offering more direct connections to other German cities such as Berlin, Stuttgart, Cologne and Hanover. They meet their GCC customers much closer to their homes as they offer departures also from Dubai World, Abu Dhabi and Jeddah.”
The comfort and travel experience with the Lufthansa Group airlines starts already while booking the ticket via our award-winning apps, which accompany each passenger during the whole trip.”
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