Qatar Shell has partnered with Qatar Development Bank to open the doors for local Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to supply contracts for Shell businesses in Qatar. This new partnership will provide local companies and manufacturers access to new business opportunities as well as help them raise their operating standards in order to fulfill global requirements.

"Wherever Shell operates in the world, we are passionately committed to SME and local content development - not merely as an aspect of corporate social responsibility, but because it makes good business sense for us to do so. Supporting Qatar's SME sector is an essential component of our contribution to the economic and social pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030," said Wael Sawan, Managing Director and Chairman of Qatar Shell Companies. 

"We are proud to partner with QDB to promote ever greater local content in our procurement spend and have confidence in the quality of local suppliers and in their ability to add value to our operations," added Sawan.

"We are very pleased to cooperate with Shell to provide exciting opportunities for local businesses. We believe this to be an essential partnership for SMEs in Qatar to be on par with global competitors and suppliers. This is in line with our mandate and strategy to develop a world-class private sector with the necessary skills, knowledge and best practices to attract multinational organizations the caliber of Shell," said Mansour Bin Ibrahim Al-Mahmoud, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Development Bank.

"We admire Shell's commitment to the private sector and their awareness of the important role that SME's play in the development of a stable economy," added Al-Mahmoud.

"QDB will not only provide access to funding but also access to business advisory support, links to potential strategic partners as well as facilitate access to local regulatory and support institutions," he concluded. 

SMEs listed with QDB and other institutions and/or incubators will have access through the agreement to Shell's tenders to supply various materials and services required by the company. A recent example of Shell awarding a contract to a local company was the signing late last year of an agreement between Qatar Shell and Venture Gulf Engineering (VGE) to include Qatar Vinyl Company Ltd.

(QVC) as an approved local manufacturer of Hydrochloric Acid (HCL). This paved the way for QVC to supply HCL to the world-scale Pearl Gas to Liquids (GTL) plant, the largest energy project ever built in Qatar and one of the highest consumers of HCL in the country.