Market entry strategy for exports to Qatar

If Qatar is a relatively unknown market for you, you need a clear market entry strategy. This may be different from the strategies you have used so far, as the market structure and the competition is different.

Key in your market entry strategy is some market research. Of course there are reports on market size and market growth, but often these are general. Specific knowledge on how your product is perceived and what your competitions is, is harder to get but more valuable.

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Oppportunities for international business in Qatar

Qatar, a small country in the Middle East, has a population of about 2.8 million as of 2023. It is known for its wealth from natural gas and oil reserves, as well as its modern capital, Doha.

With one of the highest GDPs per capita in the world at around $64,000 USD in 2023, Qatar’s economy is heavily dependent on the oil and gas industry. The country is diversifying its economy through investments in areas like finance, education, and sports.

The UAE, particularly Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has become a global tourism hub. Dubai is renowned for its luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture, and a lively nightlife scene. The city is home to landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa, the Palm Islands, and the Dubai Mall.

The real estate sector, particularly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has seen significant growth, with the construction of skyscrapers, luxury residential areas, and commercial properties. This sector has attracted investors from all around the world.

The UAE is a major trading hub. Its strategic location between Asia, Europe, and Africa makes it an important logistics center. The ports of Dubai and Abu Dhabi are among the busiest in the world.

Travel to Qatar for a better impression

The best preparation for doing business in any country is visiting it. This way you can experience the culture, check the shops and build your network.

Where it comes to hotels, research shows that if you check these platforms, in 80% of the cases you have the lowest room rates.

Consumer products in Qatar: Distributors, retailers or online

If you have a consumer product that you can’t sell directly from your home country to your end customer, you need at least one step in between. This can be a distributor (who also acts as wholesaler or importer), a big retailer directly, or it can be a large web shop. Let’s look at the pro’s and con’s of each option.

Distributors

Distributors are used to import, store and physically distribute a product.
They normally don’t invest in promoting your product to consumers.
They are the best chance to get your product in the market so that you can gather sales data.

Large retailers

Retailers are very risk averse, may ask for a listing fee before they put your product on the shelves.
They can help you promote your product in their stores and in their magazines, but will also ask a fee for this.
They are the quickest route to the mass market, if you can convince them.

Online

Specialised web shops may have a greater interest in your product than general web shops.
They can experiment more easily with pricing and ways of promoting.
Volumes may be lower, but working with web shops is still a good way to collect reviews and get brand awareness.

B2b or customized products for Qatar

For a B2B product that is not a commodity or for customized solutions the story is different. Here sales needs to be done in alignment with the department that actually delivers the service or that determines the price case by case. Also then you have three different options.

Agents

Agents represent you in the country and have a limited negotiation room.
They often sell not only for you, but also for other parties.
A good agent already has a network in your target market and can start selling directly.

Local offices

Local offices are a costly option, but give you full control on your sales.
You have to send someone over and hire local staff and office facilities.
This gives the opportunity to do local marketing and business development from within the country.

Distance selling

If you product can easily be delivered and serviced from abroad (like software) this may be a good option.
Video conferencing is more accepted now and can limit travel.
Lead generation may be done with SEO, advertising and email marketing.

Where it all starts: select a target group

As counts for any country: you first have to define the target group that you want to sell to. If these are businesses, then you can reach out directly through emails and targeted advertisements, e.g. on LinkedIn. If this arouses interest and gives a sufficient response rate, then you may have found an easy way to get the market’s attention.

If your target group is more diffuse, or is a consumer group, then you have to rely more on advertising such as on Facebook or Instagram.

Do your first approach with instantly

If you target people in Qatar in a specific industry or with a certain role in the company (like HR directors) you can do an easy first trial yourself.

With the tooling of our partner Instantly.ai you can define your target group, whether it’s 50 or 50.000 people. Send them a sequence of emails, directly in their inbox, for typically under 10 dollarcents per persoon.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good market entry strategy for Qatar?

First determine who are the end-users of your product or service. And where do they buy it now? The best way to determine the right entry strategy is to approach these parties. Would they consider your product or service as an alternative? Do they agree with the positioning that you have in mind? And what competitors are they buying from now? These data will help you determine the right strategy.

Is market entry in Qatar difficult?

This al depends on the product or service that you want to sell and the competition. Typically, if you already sell in comparable countries as Qatar, also here it should be possible, unless there is strong local competition. This is something that you only discover if you dive into the market.

Can I use my brand to sell in Qatar?

Yes, if you have registered your brand for Qatar or you trust it will not be used by others, you can use your brand there. You only need to recognize that in every new country you need to build brand recognition and brand standing separately. Therefore you need a good positioning, the right distribution structure and a marketing plan.

Is marketing in Qatar different?

Although your product or service often can remain te same, the marketing that you need in Qatar may be different from other countries. You may have to translate your materials and advertisements, adjusting it to the local ‘tone of voice’. Also marketing communication channels may be different.