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Qatar, UK to strengthen trade relations

December 3, 2018 at 9:21 am

Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May arrives on stage to speak during the Qatar-UK Business and Investment Forum in Birmingham [DARREN STAPLES/AFP/Getty Images]

Qatar and the United Kingdom have agreed to further strengthen bilateral trade and investment relations as well as enhance other fields of cooperation especially education, health, banking, engineering, development and projects related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

This came during the second session of the Qatar-UK Joint Ministerial Commission on Economic, Commercial and Technical Cooperation which was held yesterday.

The session was headed by Qatari Commerce and Industry Minister Ali Bin Ahmed Al-Kuwari and the UK State Minister for Trade Policy George Hollingbery.

Al-Kuwari praised the close relations between Qatar and the UK, pointing out that the commission’s meeting represents another important step in developing and consolidating bilateral relations between the two countries.

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According to the minister, the UK is ranked eighth as Qatar’s largest trade partner, where the volume of trade exchange between the two countries reached nearly $3 billion in 2017, adding that 79 wholly owned British companies and 672 Qatari-British companies are operating in Qatar.

The minister said Doha has accelerated the implementation of measures aimed at attracting more foreign direct investments which would strengthen Qatar’s position as an important commercial and investment hub in the region.

On his part, British minister Hollingbery praised the historical and strategic relations between the two countries, stressing the kingdom’s keenness to further develop bilateral cooperation mechanisms and enhance relations in various fields.