Doha, April 26 (QNA) - The Qatar-UK relationship is deeply rooted and historic, spanning decades and founded on solid pillars of understanding, harmony, collaboration, mutual respect, and a shared desire to advance the supreme interests of the two friendly peoples.

    Throughout recent years, this relationship has become rock-solid and unprecedentedly grown, stemming from an enduring historic friendship, thereby imparting an exceptional weight and singularity to this bilateral relationship in terms of all collaborative fields between the two nations that expanded to encompass health, education, sciences, culture, sports, as well as numerous other fields which are still in a constant expansion.

      As a testament to the strength of the Qatar-UK relationship in the present and future, the second Qatar-UK Strategic Dialogue convenes in Doha, co-chaired by HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani and HE Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the friendly United Kingdom David Lammy.

      Held under the theme "Partners for the Future," the dialogue stands as another milestone in advancing the partnership between the State of Qatar and the United Kingdom, reaffirming the two sides' unflagging commitment to further strengthening cooperation across various fields.

     The dialogue comes following the visit of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to London in December 2024, in response to the invitation of His Majesty King Charles III, along with His Highness's talks with HE Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer.

      Throughout these talks, both sides agreed on pathways to foster partnership in the areas of trade, investment and cooperation to address global challenges, as well as the progress made in the reciprocal growth, technological innovation, transition to the sustainable green, the domain of life sciences, the creative industries, and cultural cooperation, in addition to the continuation of their close collaboration and the exchange of knowledge regarding conflict resolution.

This dialogue is set to deliberate on cooperation between the two countries primarily on four key themes, namely future prosperity, a secure future, a more just future and the future of relations between the two peoples.

     Falling under these pillars are eight working groups tasked with the fields of defense, security, counterterrorism, trade and investment, science, technology and innovation, development, mediation, culture, education, heritage, and health.

      In addition, the dialogue will feature the launch of a working group in the field of technology, innovation, and science, alongside a working group in the field of health, in parallel with exploring prospects to propel bilateral cooperation across the domains of advanced technology, artificial intelligence, and future opportunities, including their role in bolstering healthcare applications and health data.

      This dialogue will unequivocally deepen the Qatar-UK partnership in the areas of economy, trade and investment, defense and security, as well as cooperation in counterterrorism, in addition to bolstering coordination and bilateral cooperation to address global challenges.

It will culminate in holding the first meeting of the development working group, the establishment of a mediation task force, where both countries are working together, following the joint commitment to provide $100 million in humanitarian and development funding to explore joint programs in priority areas, including the Gaza Strip, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Bangladesh, in addition to advancing capacity-building in the fields of peace and conflict resolution, in support of joint international efforts to promote peace.

The first strategic dialogue was convened in February 2023, in London, UK, during which the two sides underscored their rock-solid and close partnership, in pursuit of jointly navigating regional and global challenges, expressing their commitment to increasing the pace of cooperation in a group of shared priorities.

The Qatar-UK bilateral relationship has been further strengthened through reciprocal visits at the highest levels, as well as ministerial-level exchanges and specialized delegations, stemming from the commitment of Qatar's prudent leadership to forging a robust network of strategic relations and partnerships with countries across the world, particularly major powers, decision-making centers, and leading capitals of economic, commercial, and scientific weight.

This drive falls within the framework of the state's plans, strategies, and the Qatar National Vision 2030, which aspires to transform the State of Qatar into a developed, prosperous, and globally engaged nation, and into a leading hub for knowledge- and innovation-based industries, while building a sustainable economy capable of achieving high growth rates in the future and broadening Qatar's partnerships across the fields of economy, trade, investment, energy, education, health, sport, and security.

      As part of the high-level visits between the two nations, HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, paid several visits to the United Kingdom, the most recent of which was a state visit to London in December 2024.

To mark this visit, a joint statement was issued between the State of Qatar and the United Kingdom, which noted that HE Keir Starmer received HH the Amir on Dec. 4, 2024, at the headquarters of the Prime Minister's Office at 10 Downing Street in London.

During the meeting, both sides lauded the strength of their bilateral historic partnership, which has witnessed remarkable evolution over the past decade, and agreed on an ambitious future framework to continue strengthening their cooperation, elevate the level of ambition, and chart a strategic direction for their bilateral relationship, with this framework building upon the priorities laid down in the 2010 Qatar–United Kingdom dynamic partnership and subsequent agreements.

      The joint statement clarified that the two leaders agreed to focus bilateral efforts on four priority areas: a generational security partnership, an expanded economic partnership centered on reciprocal growth and diversified modern economies, joint action and leadership on global issues, and forging closer people-to-people connections. They further agreed that the future framework would be overseen and continually developed through the annual Qatar–United Kingdom Strategic Dialogue.

Furthermore, the two parties acknowledged that both nations would leverage strategic dialogue to assess trade and investment relations, cooperation in addressing global challenges, advancements in reciprocal growth, technological innovation, the transition to a sustainable green economy, the domain of life sciences, creative industries, and cultural cooperation, as well as to monitor their close collaboration, exchange knowledge regarding conflict resolution, and provide a comprehensive overview thereof.

     The National Counter-Terrorism Committee (NCTC) hosted the second meeting of the Qatar–United Kingdom Counter-Terrorism Working Group at the Ministry of Interior headquarters last Wednesday. The meeting was held as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation and exchange expertise in the fields of security and counter-terrorism.

      In January 2025, the Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future, a member of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, announced a strategic partnership with The King's Foundation, a UK charity established by His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom.

 The announcement was made during an official event held at Dumfries House in Scotland, attended by HE Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al-Thani.

This two-year collaboration aims to launch four pilot projects focused on sustainable urban development in India, Guyana, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania, through harnessing conventional knowledge to spotlight the value of cultural heritage in countering contemporary environmental challenges.

    By and large, the two nations are bound by significant trade and investment relations, with the volume of bilateral trade exceeding QR 10 billion in 2023, including QR 6.1 billion in Qatari exports to the United Kingdom.

Qatari investments in the British economy have reached GBP40 billion, distributed by way of example across Heathrow Airport, Harrods, British Airways, and other distinguished British brands.

This investment has generated substantial employment opportunities, driven innovation, and contributed to economic development in both countries.

The United Kingdom stands as a key trading partner for the State of Qatar, while Qatar ranks as the third-largest market for British exports in the Middle East and North Africa region. Moreover, there are more than 79 British companies operating in Qatar across sectors such as oil and gas, infrastructure, and information technology, alongside more than 650 Qatari–British joint venture companies active in fields including engineering consultancy, construction, information technology, trade, and services.

Overall, Qatar is considered one of the United Kingdom's key partners in the energy sector, with the South Hook LNG Terminal constituting the largest strategic investment between the two nations in the field of liquefied natural gas.

The terminal, inaugurated in 2009 through a partnership between QatarEnergy (holding a 70 percent stake) and ExxonMobil Corporation (holding a 30 percent stake), enables Qatar to secure approximately 30 percent of the United Kingdom's annual natural gas needs.

Their bilateral cooperation in this field is poised to be further reinforced, in view of the British government's desire to increase its gas imports under its energy diversification strategy, aiming for a supply range of between 70 and 80 percent during the period from 2030 to 2040.

More interestingly, the two countries share a strong military relationship that has spanned several decades and witnessed notable growth in recent years, marked by the signing of several agreements aimed at boosting their military and defense cooperation.

The two sides also enjoy historic and robust security relations, with the joint Typhoon and Hawk squadrons, the first two joint air squadrons established by the United Kingdom since World War II, constituting a central pillar of the Qatar–United Kingdom defense partnership.

Education constitutes a central pillar of the Qatar–United Kingdom relationship, encompassing partnership in scholarships, universities, schools, and institutional companies. The United Kingdom stands as the leading global destination for Qatari students, with more than 3,000 Qatari students currently pursuing their studies in the United Kingdom.

Additionally, approximately 3,300 students are enrolled at seven British universities operating in the State of Qatar. Alongside the British Council, there are around 50 British schools in Qatar, in addition to more than 100 schools that apply the British curriculum. (QNA)