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QA24_AG_Hassad_EngAliHilalAlKuwari

QATAR - Industry

Ali Hilal Al Kuwari

CEO, HASSAD FOOD

Bio

Ali Hilal Al Kuwari has been CEO of
Hassad Food Company since August
2023. He has vast experience in the field
of food and agribusiness investments
and extensive knowledge of Hassad’s
local and international investments
gained throughout his 13-year tenure
with Hassad. His earlier positions
at Hassad include vice president,
director of operations, and director of
project management. Prior to Hassad,
Al-Kuwari spent close to a decade at
Qatar General Electricity & Water
Corporation. He is also Chairman of
A’Saffa Foods, Vice Chairman of Al
Meera Consumer Goods Company,
Vice Chairman of the Arab Qatari
Company for Poultry Production, and
a board member of Baladna Company.
Al-Kuwari holds an engineering degree
from Qatar University and an MBA
from Northampton University in the
UK.

Hassad Food will further continue to diversify its investments in support of Qatar’s food security initiatives while collaborating with research institutions and fostering sustainability practices.

As the new CEO of Hassad Food, what is your vision for the future growth and development of the company?

Hassad Food is considered as Qatar’s investment arm in food and agribusiness sectors, our investments portfolio is quite diverse, and aimed at supporting the country’s food security initiatives. We will continue to invest in businesses that brings strategic and commercial value to the country and work towards becoming a strategic architect, by acquiring minority shares in international and local strategic investments, as well as play an investment operator role for most of our local investments. Moreover, we will continuously support and collaborate with R&D institutions in projects that aim to advance the local agricultural sector.

Earlier in 2023, the Ministry of Municipality has announced the launch of the Agricultural Services & Inputs Programme in collaboration with Hassad Food. What goals is this program aimed to achieve?

The agricultural services and inputs pro-gram is a strategic program launched by the Ministry of Municipality and man-aged by Mahaseel for Marketing & Agricultural Services—a subsidiary of Hassad Food. The program aims to support and meet the farmers’ needs through a unified comprehensive platform that provides integrated agricultural services. This strategic program targets all local farms and aims to develop the local agricultural sector to contribute to achieving food security for the State of Qatar. It focuses on developing agricultural practices and services, to increase the agricultural season’s duration, as well as reach the highest productivity per sqm. Moreover, the program covers three strategic sections: knowledge and skills development, farms infrastructure development, and supporting farmers in selecting suitable agricultural inputs.

What is the role of sustainability for Hassad Food and what objectives does it help achieve?

Hassad plays a key role in protecting the environment via the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices and supporting innovative research efforts related to the local agricultural sector, such as the use of biodegradable and environmentally friendly packaging material at Mahaseel (a subsidiary of Hassad) and recycling the company’s organic waste. Additionally, QATFA (a subsidiary of Hassad) was awarded with a GLOBAL GAP certification of excellence in agricultural practices, as they adopt several sustainable practices, like producing vegetables which are free of pesticides, reducing water usage through convert-ing soil agriculture to soilless agriculture, as well as recycling plant waste and converting it into organic fertilizer. Furthermore, Aalaf Qatar company, an-other subsidiary of Hassad Food started utilizing solar energy as an alternative to traditional practices, with the aim of reducing energy consumption of unsustainable fuel and protecting the environment.

How does Hassad Food cooperate with inter-national companies in the field of agricultural investment and what goals can such partnerships achieve?

Our international investment portfolio is aligned with our food security objectives. We always seek international partnerships and relationships to ensure we can work with those partners to deliver locally when needed.

How can international investors and agricultural stakeholders collaborate with Hassad Food to support Qatar’s food security goals?

One of the many ways is to bring international technology to Qatar. This is one of our main objectives going forward—we look for partners who can bring technology and foreign direct investment into the country, which can eventually develop capabilities and skill set of the local private sector.

What will be Hassad Food’s priorities over the course of 2024?

We have succeeded in establishing an amazing foundation in the last few years with our global and local investments and are now looking to grow and secure other investments in line with our investment strategy and principles to help the state of Qatar achieve food security.

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