The week-long conference in the Qatari capital is being attended by global leaders, government ministers, high ranking officials and journalists.
Established in 1964, UNCTAD has evolved into an authoritative knowledge-based organisation promoting the growth of developing countries.
The theme of this year’s conference is Development-Centred Globalisation: Towards Inclusive And Sustainable Growth And Development. The focus of discussion is job creation and raising living standards for underprivileged people and nations.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “This is a special occasion as it marks the first time a country from the Arab world has ever hosted the UNCTAD conference.
“The State of Qatar has been playing a significant role in world issues and being the national airline it makes us proud to bring in these world leaders and representatives from around the world to our capital city Doha this week.”
The gathering is timely as it takes place amid the major transformations under way in the region. Qatar’s partnership with UNCTAD is an opportunity for the State to demonstrate its ability to contribute more effectively to setting the economic and political agendas on regional and global levels.
International leaders meeting in Doha are discussing the extent to which economic factors such as job shortages and income inequalities have contributed to the recent uprisings in parts of the Arab world. They are also talking about social changes in developed countries and their impact on International trade.
Qatar Airways operates a modern fleet of 108 aircraft to 113 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.
During 2011, Qatar Airways inducted 15 diverse destinations into its network. As part of its 2012 expansion programme, Qatar Airways recently launched flights to the capital cities of Tbilisi in Georgia, Baku in Azerbaijan and Kigali in Rwanda.
The airline has a further 11 new routes to launch during 2012, namely Perth (Australia), Zagreb (Croatia), Gassim (Saudi Arabia), Helsinki (Finland), Belgrade (Serbia), Erbil (Iraq), Baghdad (Iraq), Yangon (Myanmar), Mombasa (Kenya), Zanzibar (Tanzania) and Kilimanjaro (Tanzania).
Qatar Airways has orders worth over US$ 50 billion for more than 250 aircraft, including Boeing 787s, 777s, Airbus A350s, A380s and A320 Family of aircraft. The rapid expansion of Qatar Airways prompted the State of Qatar to embark on one of its biggest projects – the construction of a brand new international airport in Doha, which is scheduled to open in 2012.
In addition to winning Skytrax’s prestigious Airline of the Year 2011 award during the summer, Qatar Airways was named Best Airline in the Middle East for the sixth year in a row, and its Premium Terminal at Doha International Airport was named Best First Class Airline Lounge. For more information, visit www.qatarairways.com. Skytrax is the only global independent passenger survey monitoring airline standards and is considered the ultimate benchmark for excellence in the airline industry.
Qatar Airways Group, Corporate Communications Department
Tel: +974 44302072, Fax: +974 44302069
E-mail: qrmedia@qatarairways.com.qa
Website: www.qatarairways.com