CFO Insights

Baladna CEO: ‘Blockade a boon for Qatar’s dairy sector’

When a UAE and Saudi-led diplomatic and economic blockade on Qatar was first announced in June 2017, many economists were concerned about the Gulf country’s ability to absorb the shock of being cut-off from key trading partners. In an odd twist of fate, the move led to an acceleration in Doha’s drive for economic self-sufficiency that became a boon for some of the country’s key domestic sectors – food and agricultural businesses among them.Bonds & Loans speaks with Peter Weltevreden, CEO at Baladna, one of the country’s largest dairy producers, about how the blockade has accelerated its corporate development plans in the run-up to a highly anticipated 2019 initial public offering.