CEO, OBIETTIVO LLC

What gap have you covered in the Qatari market since your arrival in 2007?

Italian trade agencies are successful at organizing exhibitions and B2B meetings, but there was and still is a need for a follow up. Most of our clients, especially medium-sized Italian companies cannot afford to have someone coming to Qatar two or three times a month to follow up on the relationship with the locals in a proper way. Through our services we manage the entire process of business development, which often spans several years. This starts with introducing our clients to the country, targeting projects, and supporting during the negotiations and execution of awarded projects. Today, wherever you look, you will see something being done by companies supported by Obiettivo Qatar; however, part of our core business is to ensure we are always exploring new opportunities and understand how the local market will evolve in the future, especially after the World Cup. Our clients are mainly Italian, though we are increasing our international and local companies’ portfolio.

What has been the impact of the World Cup in the consultancy services requests you receive from your clients?

The World Cup has brought in a massive number of projects. We are not heavily involved in the stadiums, but in many connected businesses. For example, now, we are working heavily in the hospitality sector. We are also introducing the concept of value engineering from Italian and European companies so as not to compromise on quality despite the time and budget constraints. Another interesting dimension of the World Cup is sustainability. The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the first environmentally neutral event of its kind, so our advisory services have to go on that direction.