When the illegal siege was declared on Qatar in June 2017, Turkey was one of the first nations that stood with Qatar and its people.

Ever since then, bonds between the two nations have grown ever stronger, both in terms of brotherhood and business. 

The volume of trade between Qatar and Turkey is expected to reach at least $2bn by the end of 2018, according to Turkey’s Ambassador to Qatar Fikret Ozer.

The Ambassador, who was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the ‘Turkey Festival’ at Al Meera Hyatt Plaza, said the volume of trade between the two nations stood at $1.3bn between January and August 2018, reported Gulf Times.

He then pointed out the possibility that the trade volumes could reach a total worth of $2bn by year-end.

The Ambassador said Turkey was proving to be a hot tourist destination for Qataris, He said the number of visitors from Qatar so far this year had more than doubled from the figures two years ago.

More than 71,000 Qatari tourists have visited Turkey so far this year. The figure was just 33,000 in 2016, reported Qatar Tribune.

The ambassador also hinted at the possibility of establishing a company specialised in maritime transport between the two countries.

He said the proposal was under study and was scheduled to launch soon. Ozer also noted that the volume of contracts awarded to Turkish companies engaged in contracting works in Qatar was estimated to be at $15bn.