KARACHI: Pakistan has invited Qatari investors to explore opportunities in agriculture, electric vehicles (EVs), information technology and maritime sectors, the country’s commerce ministry said on Sunday, as Islamabad seeks to broaden economic ties with Doha and attract foreign investment.
The statement followed a meeting in Doha where Pakistani Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs, Dr. Ahmad bin Mohammed Al-Sayed, co-chaired the second meeting of the Pakistan–Qatar Joint Task Force on Trade and Investment.
The joint task force reviewed progress on bilateral economic cooperation and discussed measures to strengthen trade, facilitate investment and expand cooperation in priority sectors.
After years of economic instability, Pakistan has been pursuing a gradual recovery under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program and is seeking to boost foreign investment to support sustainable growth, improve its external financing position and accelerate industrial activity.
During the meeting in Doha, Pakistani and Qatari officials reviewed progress since the inaugural Joint Task Force meeting in April 2026 and discussed steps to strengthen bilateral trade, improve investment facilitation and advance cooperation.
Pakistan said Qatari investment was invited in modern agriculture, including grain storage facilities, silos, cold storage, integrated cold-chain infrastructure and advanced farming technologies. Opportunities for sustainable food supply arrangements to strengthen food security in both countries were also discussed.
Pakistan presented investment opportunities in the automobile sector, particularly New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) and electric vehicles under its new EV policy framework. Joint manufacturing, technology transfer and industrial partnerships were also highlighted.
Pakistan invited Qatari investment in information technology and digital infrastructure, emphasizing its growing IT exports and opportunities for technology partnerships and digital services expansion. In the maritime sector, officials identified cooperation opportunities in shipping and maritime transport, including oil tankers, LNG carriers and container vessels, to strengthen energy security and international trade connectivity.
The Qatari side emphasized enhanced cooperation in civil aviation and air traffic. Pakistan welcomed the proposal and said aviation-related matters would also be addressed through the Technical Working Group on Logistics and Communications, according to the statement.
Pakistan also presented the concept of an Investment Fund, highlighting opportunities for Qatari participation in infrastructure, agriculture, industrial development, information technology and other priority sectors.
Pakistan said it stressed the importance of early operationalization of the eleven Technical Working Groups identified during the first Joint Task Force meeting. The groups cover priority sectors including logistics, aviation, advanced manufacturing, mining and minerals, agriculture, tourism, financial technology, health care, education, industrial development, information technology and startups.
Pakistan further emphasized that the working groups should identify concrete trade and investment opportunities, address outstanding issues and prepare sector-wise progress reports and recommendations ahead of the third meeting of the Joint Task Force, according to the statement.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral economic cooperation through sustained engagement, improved trade facilitation, enhanced investment partnerships and effective follow-up under the Joint Task Force framework.
Pakistan has strong trade and investment relations with Qatar. In 2022, the Qatar Investment Authority aimed to invest $3 billion in Pakistan to support the country’s economy. The investment was expected to focus on transport, civil aviation, education, health, culture, media, communications, information technology and labor sectors, according to the emir’s office.
Qatar is also host to nearly 300,000 Pakistanis, a large share of Pakistan’s population, according to Pakistan’s foreign office. The Gulf country employs a significant number of Pakistanis in the health, education, engineering, finance and public service sectors.
A large number of semi-skilled and unskilled Pakistani workers also dominate Qatar’s construction and transport sectors. Pakistan’s efforts to expand employment opportunities for its skilled labor in Qatar have led to several memorandums of understanding and letters of intent over the years.