In late October 2021, Triangle launched the Arab Business Legislative Framework report and online portal in Doha, Qatar. The launch occurred at a national planning and technical training session led by Triangle and fellow consulting firms FEMAC and Vessel Global. 

[DOHA, OCTOBER 28, 2021] – Triangle and UNESCWA have launched the first UN comparative analysis of business legislative frameworks covering all 22 Arab League member states. The report and its accompanying online portal provide policymakers, legal practitioners, the business community, and the general public with baseline comparative research to assess the alignment of legislative frameworks in Arab countries with international best practices. The research focuses on four key areas of commercial law: competition, anti-corruption, foreign direct investment, and consumer protection. 

“This report and its portal are an important first step to bring Arab League states’ laws in line with international standards to combat corruption, increase competition, protect consumers, and attract the right kind of foreign direct investment to their countries,” said Sami Halabi, Triangle’s Director of Policy.  

The report launch took place in Doha, Qatar, as part of the UNESCWA “National Workshop on Enhancing Integrated National Development in Qatar,” convened by Qatar’s Planning and Statistics Authority, in partnership with UNESCWA. The workshop forms part of the “Towards the Arab Horizon 2030: Enhancing Integrated National Development Planning in the Arab Region” initiative. 

At the workshop, Halabi presented Qatari public and private sector representatives with the report and portal’s findings on Qatar’s business legislative frameworks. Technical training sessions on foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction best practices were delivered by Luigi Mercuri, CEO of FEMAC and Head of Investment at Vessel Global. Supported by Triangle, these sessions focused on how to properly conceptualize, plan, and implement an effective global FDI attraction strategy to attract companies, value chains, technologies, international talent, capital, and means of production. 

Workshop participants emphasized the need for Qatar’s commercial laws to align with regional standards and advocated for expanded assessments across Arab states to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

“A lot more work remains to understand the degree to which legislation, rules, and administrative norms need to be reformed to produce the right kind of business environment. This commercial climate must attract businesses of the future, which operate under a triple bottom line—where financial, environmental, and social considerations play a part in circular economic growth,” Halabi added. “All countries in the region need to undergo a change of mindset to avoid being left behind as the global economy moves – and moves fast – in that direction.”