AICEP noted that Startup Portugal’s participation reinforced the country’s ‘strong presence in the international startup ecosystem’.

Ricardo Arroja, the president of the Portuguese trade and investment agency, AICEP, has led a high-level economic mission to Qatar this week in a bid to boost both countries’ economic relations.

In a statement on Tuesday, AICEP said that the delegation has engaged with key officials from various Qatari entities, including Abdulla Al Khalifa, the CEO of Qatar National Bank Group. Other entities included Aamal Company, Doha Venture Capital, and QInvest among others.

“These discussions reinforced Portugal’s position as a strategic hub for investment and innovation, focusing on expanding economic cooperation, attracting investment, and supporting Portuguese businesses in the region,” AICEP said in a statement.

The mission has also pointed to the prominent role of Startup Portugal, which is among the major entities at the second edition of the Web Summit Qatar, held between February 23-26. 

Portugal’s Secretary of State for the Economy, João Rui Ferreira, and the Portuguese Ambassador to Qatar, Paulo Neves Pocinho, were also in attendance.

AICEP noted that Startup Portugal’s participation reinforced the country’s “strong presence in the international startup ecosystem”.

A key outcome of the visit included the announcement of a partnership between Invest Qatar and Startup Portugal on the sidelines of the Web Summit in Doha, with the aim of fostering collaborations within the startup ecosystem. 

Both entities would exchange knowledge and facilitate mutual referrals of startups.

“With the support of the Portuguese Ambassador to Qatar, this mission demonstrated Portugal’s dedication to fostering strong partnerships in the Middle East, leveraging its innovation-driven economy to create new opportunities for businesses and investors,” AICEP added.

Arroja also spoke at a panel at the summit in Doha titled “Bridging Borders: Building Collaborative Tech Ecosystems for Economic Growth”. The AICEP president placed great emphasis on Portugal’s position as “a global hub for innovation”.

“Through digital economy activities, Portugal can reach out to the world. We have built strong IT software development and cybersecurity capabilities supported by solid institutional backing,” Arroja explained.

“At the same time, Portugal has developed a legal framework for startups and scaleups, along with tech incentives and a tech visa programme, which attracts highly skilled professionals from around the globe and positions Portugal as a platform for global outreach,” he added.

Ferreira separately highlighted Portugal’s “positive, attractive system” for startups.

“A combination of different incentives for individuals, for talent, but also for startups that are based in Portugal that are critical to retain talent,” the Portuguese official noted.

Portugal is home to approximately 5,000 startups representing more than 26,000 jobs, according to data shared by Invest Qatar. 

The Portuguese secretary of state for the economy also told a panel at the Web Summit that his country will launch a €25m (about $26.2m) programme for “companies to adapt to AI technologies”.