oha, May 22 (QNA) - The Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced that the cumulative investment volume in the industrial sector reached a level of QR 270 billion during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 0.13 percent compared to the first quarter of 2025.

This came during the first quarterly meeting to follow up on the Ministry’s performance for 2026, chaired by HE Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al-Thani, and attended by ministry officials.

The meeting showcased the ministry's key achievements and initiatives during the first quarter of 2026, which included launching 36 new electronic services through the ministry's website, activating the work of the national intellectual property strategy committee, issuing a guide to the Gulf National Product Certificates for factories, in addition to publishing the draft law regulating partnership between the public and private sectors on the "Sharek" platform, and signing a contract for the management, operation and provision of services in central markets with "Hassad" Company.

In a statement on Thursday, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry indicated that the first quarter witnessed the activation of the "Operations Center" to monitor markets and ensure the continuity of supplies in light of geopolitical conditions, the announcement of the draft law regulating competition on the "Sharek" platform in coordination with the Council of Ministers Secretariat General, the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the State of Kuwait in the field of competition protection, the launch of the electronic suppliers portal service (iSupplier), in addition to activating 30 specialized licensing services that include promoting festivals, customs clearance, auctions and related sub-services through a unified digital platform.

The meeting discussed the ministry's overall performance results during the first quarter of 2026, and addressed the performance indicators for the various sectors, along with the key operational challenges and proposed solutions to accelerate the implementation of approved plans and projects.

Regarding the commerce sector, the number of new commercial registrations reached 6,328 during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 18.5 percent compared to the same period in 2025.

In the same context, the Single Window platform continued to develop its services, with 12 services developed during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 300 percent compared to the first quarter of 2025, which saw the development of 3 services.

The number of transactions submitted through the single window reached 109,284, 94 percent of which were submitted electronically, an increase of 7 percent compared to the first quarter of 2025, reflecting progress in the path of digital transformation.

Customer satisfaction with the electronic application service reached 93 percent during the first quarter, 99 percent with the provision of services in the ministry building, and 95 percent with applications in government service centers.

Regarding attracting foreign investment, 3,295 non-Qatari companies were established during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 66 percent compared to the first quarter of 2025, reflecting the attractiveness of the investment environment in the State of Qatar and enhancing investor confidence.

Regarding the protection of intellectual property rights, 1,661 trademarks were granted during the first quarter of 2026, along with the granting of 145 patents, an increase of 134 percent compared to the same period in 2025, and the granting of 43 copyrights, an increase of 16 percent compared to the first quarter of 2025.

In the industrial affairs and business development sector, the statement confirmed that the cumulative investment volume in the industrial sector reached 270 billion riyals during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 0.13 percent, compared to the first quarter of 2025.

Also, 17 new factories were registered that started production during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 112 percent compared to the first quarter of 2025, and the readiness of 32 factories was assessed during the same period, an increase of 191 percent compared to the first quarter of 2025, while the average time taken to issue the initial approval was one working day during the first quarter of 2026.

As for the consumer affairs sector, 1,897 type licenses were issued during the first quarter of 2026. The sector also received 6,895 complaints during the same period, an increase of 323 percent compared to the first quarter of 2025. These were distributed between 5,640 complaints for consumer protection, 631 complaints for type licenses, 622 complaints for supply, and two complaints related to competition. The complaints were dealt with according to specific time periods, as consumer protection complaints were closed within 8 days, supply complaints within one day, and type license complaints were closed within two working days.

In the same context, 74,766 inspection visits were carried out during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 89 percent compared to the first quarter of 2025, while the percentage of violations reached 9 percent, within the framework of strengthening market control and consumer protection.

The number of beneficiaries of food support reached 453,694 during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 3.11 percent compared to the first quarter of 2025, while the number of beneficiaries of feed support reached 8,638 during the same period, an increase of 3.6 percent compared to the first quarter of 2025.

The meeting concluded with an emphasis on continuing periodic monitoring of the ministry's targets and performance indicators, and enhancing coordination between different sectors, in order to support the implementation of plans and initiatives according to the approved timetables. (QNA)