Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Qatar H E Neerav Patel; Director of Business and Trade at the British Embassy Ian Mason; and BCCQ Chairman Emad Turkman with QC Second Vice Chairman Rashid bin Hamad Al Athba during the meeting.
Doha, Qatar: Second Vice Chairman of the Qatar Chamber (QC), Rashid bin Hamad Al Athba, received yesterday, at the Chamber’s headquarters, H E Neerav Patel, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the State of Qatar, in the presence of Ian Mason, Director of Business and Trade at the British Embassy, and Emad Turkman, Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in Qatar (BCCQ).
During the meeting, both sides reviewed the robust trade and economic relations between the two nations, exploring avenues to further enhance bilateral ties. The discussions also focused on expanding cooperation between the Qatari and British business communities while highlighting the investment climates and diverse opportunities available on both sides.
For his part, Rashid Al Athba stressed that economic relations between both countries are distinguished and steadily growing, whether at the level of government or the private sector, noting that more than 500 British companies are operating in Qatar across various sectors, either with full British capital or in partnership with Qatari investors.
He also highlighted the significant Qatari investments in the UK and the growing interest among Qatari investors in expanding these investments and benefiting from the attractive business environment and incentives offered there.
He further emphasised Qatar Chamber’s support for British investors wishing to invest in Qatar, noting the wide range of promising opportunities for cooperation between the private sectors of both countries.
For his part, the British Ambassador praised the strength of relations between the two countries, highlighting the importance of the free trade agreement between the GCC countries and the United Kingdom in enhancing trade and investment cooperation. He noted that it is the first of its kind between the United Kingdom and an external economic bloc.
He also stressed the confidence of British investors in the Qatari economy and his country’s commitment to strengthening cooperation between British and Qatari companies and expanding bilateral investment flows.
The meeting also discussed the possibility of organising a Qatari–British business forum bringing together a number of business leaders and company representatives from both sides to explore opportunities for cooperation across various sectors.
