UK Trade and Investment Minister Greg Hands and Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, with other officials. Pic: Abdul Basit / The Peninsula
Doha: UK Trade and Investment Minister Greg Hands yesterday expressed UK’s keenness to further strengthen ties between the two countries by working with Qatar in various fields toward achieving its National Vision.
“The UK’s significant public and private sector experience and expertise in the areas of healthcare and education means we are well-placed to support Qatar’s in realising its National Vision. By working together as partners, we can ensure the success of our individual future ambitions,” said Hands as he opened Sport is GREAT event yesterday at Four Seasons Doha.
The Minister is in Doha along with a high profile Trade Mission of 11 British companies engaged in the sporting sector.
Hands stressed the UK’s eagerness to work with Qatar in the global sporting sector to deliver a successful World Cup in 2022 and beyond.
“The UK wants to be Qatar’s partner in delivering a successful World Cup – using our experience and expertise gained from delivering some of the biggest global sports events around the world. I am delighted that out of the 600 UK companies registered in Qatar, many are already working on World Cup supply chain projects,” he said.
“And even after the 2022 World Cup, the UK stands ready and willing to help Qatar create a lasting legacy that can lay the foundations for the 4 pillars of your 2030 National Vision,” Hands added.
The countries’ current bilateral relationship, he stressed, is strong and should serve as a good basis to bolster ties further.
“We collaborate in education with over 3,500 Qataris studying in the UK and in energy where almost 30 percent of the UK’s gas requirement coming from Qatar. Our trade relationship is very strong but there is plenty of scope for future growth as well. The UK currently exports £3.6bn worth of goods and services to Qatar and is the number one destination for Qatari investment with over £30bn worth of investment already.”
“I hope that UK-Qatar Trade and Investment Conference in London and Birmingham in March 2017 will be a milestone event in our trading relations. And I welcome the Qatar Sovereign Wealth Fund’s vote of confidence in the UK economy post referendum; the QIA are looking to invest a further £10bn in the UK in addition to the £30bn already invested – a clear signal that Qatar sees Britain as open for business.”
Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, echoed the same view on Qatar and the UK’s strong ties.
“Qatar and the UK have had a close relationship in all aspects of cooperation prior to and since our country gained its independence in 1971. In the political, economic, defence, education, and medical field our governments and businesses continue to maintain relationships that grow stronger every year,” said Al Thawadi in his keynote address. He emphasized the enormous potential of World Cup 2022 for Qatar , the Middle East and the wider region.
“World Cup 2022 can serve as a platform for enhancing cultural understanding , an opportunity for the Arab world and the Middle East to showcase its true peaceful nature to the rest of the world. It is an opportunity for the region to be in the headlines for reasons other than conflict,” he said.
