Qatar and Saudi Arabia are poised to enhance their economic, trade, and industrial cooperation through the Qatari-Saudi Coordination Council. This development follows a meeting where senior officials from both nations reviewed progress on joint initiatives and explored strategies to bolster bilateral trade, support private-sector businesses, and deepen economic integration.
In recent years, trade between Qatar and Saudi Arabia has seen significant growth. In 2025, bilateral trade reached approximately $1.98 billion, marking a 36 percent increase from the previous year. This upward trend continued into the first quarter of 2026, with trade growing by around 18 percent, surpassing the targeted 15 percent increase. Notably, Qatari exports to Saudi Arabia accounted for over $1.42 billion, while more than 977 Saudi companies currently operate within Qatar.
The discussions between the two sides focused on streamlining import and export procedures, fostering small and medium-sized enterprises, enhancing supply-chain integration, and expanding financial cooperation. They also considered addressing trade barriers to facilitate smoother operations for companies in both markets.
In addition to these measures, the officials reviewed plans to launch a Joint Economic and Trade Strategy. This strategy aims to establish clear priorities, initiatives, and measurable targets for the next phase of their economic collaboration. Both countries emphasized the importance of completing agreed initiatives and resolving outstanding trade issues to further promote economic and industrial integration.
