‘Qatar-UK strategic ties entering new phase’

Doha, Qatar: The strategic relationship between Qatar and the UK is entering a new phase with enhanced cooperation being elevated in such fields as de...

Doha, Qatar: The strategic relationship between Qatar and the UK is entering a new phase with enhanced cooperation being elevated in such fields as defence, renewable energy, culture, healthcare, modern technology and AI, among others, Qatar's Ambassador to the UK, H E Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Saud Al-Thani has said.

Speaking at a private event to launch the independent report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) yesterday, the Qatari envoy remarked that the state visit by Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to the UK last December significantly enhanced the relations between the two nations, strengthening them to an unprecedented level.

The Cebr report titled “The Economic Contribution of Qatari Investment in the UK” indicated that Qatari investments have generated more than £1.3 trillion of revenue impact in the UK and that Qatari-owned businesses in the UK supported an aggregate 611,171 full-time-equivalent (FTE) jobs as of 2022.

According to the report, in 2022 alone, UK-based companies with Qatari ownership (defined as having over 10% equity shareholding) recorded a turnover of £127.2bn.

“H H the Amir’s state visit was very successful in all ramifications, and it resonated all over Europe. I got the feedback from all over Europe, with ambassadors in different countries—Madrid, Paris, Berlin; and many others—calling me to express their satisfying impression about the outcome of the visit. The media coverage was massive, and the economic impact has been quite impressive on both sides,” Sheikh Abdulla said.