Darwish, a long-time backer of companies investing in the country, said the new company will be led by Elie Nawar who will serve as managing director for Qatar.

Edouard Monin (pictured), chairman and CEO of Ipsos MENA, said: “We are delighted to launch our co-venture with our partner Darwish Holding to open a fully fledged research company in Doha. We are confident that our new operation here will help existing companies in Qatar to expand their business and be more successful. In addition, we are targeting emerging establishments to help them thrive in Qatar’s business landscape.”

An Ipsos spokesperson explained that to comply with the law in Qatar the firm had to strike a deal with a local partner. She said that the firm was already working with several clients in the country, a mixture of multinational and Qatar-based businesses.