Qatar, UK to expand ties with new deals

An upsurge has been seen in high-level visits between the two countries in recent years as well as an increase in bilateral trade and investment, according to the British ambassador

Several agreements are expected to be signed during the state visit of HH the Emir and his consort to the UK next week, British Ambassador John Hawkins said yesterday.

The visit of HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and HH Sheikha Mozah Nasser al-Misnad comes at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II.

They will stay at Windsor Castle during the visit. “There are a number of agreements that we very much hope are signed next week. These will cover all aspects of our relationships but focus will be on education, culture (and) business and trade,” Hawkins said.

“It’s not for me to make the announcements (but) in the education sector, discussions are certainly on,” the diplomat said when asked whether British educational institutes would have a presence in Qatar.

According to him, an upsurge has been seen in high-level visits between the two countries in recent years as well as an increase in bilateral trade and investment.

“The opening of South Hook Gas Import Terminal (in Wales) last year by HH the Emir and Her Majesty the Queen added an important new link,” he said. UK exports to Qatar have more than doubled in the last five years (from £363mn in 2005). The latest figures for 2010 show UK’s visible exports to Qatar between January and July up 61.4% on the same period for 2009.

The same period shows Qatari exports to the UK growing by 331% compared to the corresponding period of 2009.

“This is mainly due to LNG flows through the South Hook terminal,” the ambassador said. “The Prime Minister and various UK ministers are personally committed to this relationship.

They’ve made it clear that revitalising the connections with all our Gulf friends is a priority for the new government.” In Qatar, British energy-fi rm Shell is the largest foreign investor in the country.

Vodafone is another major UK investor. Qatar too has a number of major investments in the UK, including Canary Wharf, Grosvenor Square, Sainsbury’s, London Stock Exchange, Barclays and Shard of Glass development.

“In Pearl GTL here in Qatar, we have the biggest investment anywhere in the world by any British company,” Hawkins said. “We have a long established and very strong friendship, but we believe that we are now forging a renewed strategic partnership.

We hope that the visit will lead to a strengthening of ties across the board including in business, sporting, educational, scientific, cultural and political fields,” the ambassador added.