Envoy cites Hamad airport for boosting Qatar’s image

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Wilfredo Santos cited the Hamad International Airport as a model for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), saying the Qatari terminal’s modern facilities boosted the image of the Arab country.

Santos paid a courtesy call on Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways CEO and group chief executive of Hamad International Airport (HIA), on Oct. 25 and recognized the role of the Hamad airport and Qatar Airways in boosting Qatar’s image. 

Brand Finance, a United Kingdom-based consultancy firm, in its Nation Brands 2015 report, placed Qatar as the 5th top Nation Brand for Investment and 9th in the Top 10 Strongest Nation Brands.  

The report said Qatar has made it to the top 10 in part because the nation’s efforts to market itself as a tourist spot and a business-friendly destination for investment are paying off.

The success of Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad as well as modern facilities such as HIA have improved the image of Qatar, it said.

Brand Finance, the world’s leading independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy, puts the world’s biggest brands to the test every year, evaluating which are the most powerful and most valuable brands.

The results of the annual report were published last month and showed the advantages of a strong nation brand.

Brand Finance CEO David Haigh said that in a global marketplace, a nation brand is one of the most important assets of any state that attracts investors and adds value to exports and also boosts tourism.

Haigh said governments, trade bodies and businesses must take steps to ensure that their nation brand is strategically appropriate, well-managed and regularly monitored, and understand how to respond in a crisis in order to maximize the benefits and minimize damage.

During his call on Al Baker, Santos also acknowledged the successful Philippines-Qatar Air Consultation Talks held in Doha in May that led to the increase in the number of flights between the two countries to 14 flights effective last month and unlimited flights between Doha and other airports in the Philippines except Manila, which further strengthens people-to-people exchanges between the Philippines and Qatar.

Al Baker told Santos that Qatar Airways employs 4,735 Filipinos, which is 10 percent of the firm’s workforce.