7 competitions, major sport activities and also other kind of events. The State of Qatar has already established itself as a regional and international host and organizer of major international gatherings (conferences, Summits, Seminars, Forums and High-level meetings) and cultural exhibitions, economic and financial events. Thanks to Qatar ’ s i nves tment and development drive, the country has become a center for sports, diplomacy, culture and business, and has started working on this goal before the FIFA award, but the World Cup-related projects have in turn further elevated and solidified the country’s position as an important hub and will offer more and more opportunities for Belgian entrepreneurs, Small and medium-sized enterprises but also large companies for investment and trade exchanges. Belgian can with their Qatari partners contribute effectively in achieving Qatar Vision 2030. The State of Qatar is open to Belgian, European and international investments, as the Qatar i government has been keen to provide an attractive investment environment for both Qatari and foreign investors, so the authorities periodically review laws to develop the legislative framework. In January 2019, Law No.1 of 2019 regulating the investment of nonQatari capital in economic activity became effective and allowed foreign investors to own 100 percent of capital in all sectors to facilitate FDI inflows, eliminating the previous limit of 49 percent foreign ownership. And in 2020, Qatar introduced a public-private partnership law that allows investors to coown infrastructure assets developed under long-term concessions. The State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Belgium share many common interests, thanks to the geographical similarity, both countries benefit from their location to play an influential and vital role in all economic, political and cultural fields. We encourage Belgian companies to explore the avai lable and upcoming opportunities to participate in various projects in Qatar, and cooperate with Qatari companies putting together the expertise of the Qatari companies in the local market and the technical knowhow of the Belgian companies, which will bring mutual benefit to both countries. 2. In a fewweeks, Qatar will be the center of the world and one can say that the World Cup is an important gateway between the region and the world. Could you expand on this? The State of Qatar has been preparing to host one of the biggest and most anticipated events in the World, and we are very glad and proud to welcome the world without discrimination to enjoy the football matches and the amazing atmosphere of the tournament. By opening our arms to football fans from all around the world, we will offer ourselves and other people a great opportunity to discover diverse nationalities, religions, and ideas to build bridges of understanding and celebrate our common humanity.
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