M'sia-Qatar Bilateral Trade Grows
From Muammar Kamarudin 
DOHA, May 12 (Bernama) -- The improvement in bilateral relationships between Malaysia and Qatar has seen the growth in total bilateral trade, increasing to nearly US$273.9 million (US$1=RM3.41) in 2006 from US$155.6 million in 2005, Malaysian Ambassador to Qatar Datuk Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari said.
He said the good ties had also opened up opportunities for Malaysian companies to be involved in a few infrastructure projects in Qatar while Qataris had expressed their intention to increase investments in Malaysia.
"Among Malaysian companies that have projects in Qatar included UEM Bhd, which is involved in building a highway linking the country with Saudi Arabia and and Gamuda Bhd and WCT Engineering Bhd which clinched contracts to construct a highway in Dukhan and new Qatar international airport respectively," he said.
Ku Jaafar said Sime Darby Bhd has secured a contract to build oil and gas rigs for Qatar Petroleum and Maersk (Maersk) Oil.
"There are also Malaysian companies which try to introduce smart school concept here," he told Bernama here recently.
Ku Jaafar said there were about 1,000 Malaysian professionals working in Qatar as engineers, geologists, pilots, specialists and university lecturers.
He said Qatar aimed to increase their investments in Malaysia and had started to invest in selected projects such as the opening of Al-Jazeera's television cable news network in Kuala Lumpur and penetrating the banking industry through Asian Finance Bank, subsidiary of Qatar Islamic Bank.
"Qatar investors have also started to buy properties in Malaysia and are interested to be involved in bigger projects in Malaysia," he said.
-- BERNAMA