The fourth meeting of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee between the Government of the State of Qatar and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was held today, Sunday, 1 February 2026, in Doha, with the participation of a number of senior officials and representatives from the public and private sectors of both countries.

The meeting was chaired on the Qatari side by H.E. Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, and on the British side by H.E. Mr. Chris Bryant, Minister of State for Trade at the UK Department for Business and Trade.

In his opening remarks, H.E. the Minister of State for Foreign Trade affirmed that the convening of the meeting reflects the shared will of both countries to continue strengthening their economic relations in a manner that serves mutual interests and keeps pace with global economic developments. He noted that Qatari–British relations have witnessed continuous growth, laying the foundation for a well-established strategic partnership in the fields of trade and investment.

H.E. further explained that Qatari investments in the United Kingdom have exceeded GBP 40 billion, while the volume of trade exchange between the two countries reached approximately GBP 1.7 billion in 2024, underscoring the United Kingdom’s position as a key trading partner of the State of Qatar.

He also noted that foreign direct investment flows from the United Kingdom into the State of Qatar exceeded GBP 6 billion during the period from 2017 to 2024, reflecting the confidence of British investors in Qatar’s attractive investment environment, with more than 600 British companies currently operating in the Qatari market.

H.E. emphasized the State of Qatar’s keenness to reach a free trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, which would contribute to enhanced market access and the development of cooperation in areas including digital trade, customs cooperation, and the movement of services.

He further expressed Qatar’s aspiration to deepen cooperation with the United Kingdom in the fields of finance, digitalization, and innovation, through strengthening institutional integration between the Qatari Single Window and the UK Single Trade Window, in addition to cooperation in green growth and climate technology, within the framework of Qatar’s GBP 1 billion investment in this field in the United Kingdom.

During the meeting, both sides discussed progress achieved in implementing the recommendations of the third committee meeting, ongoing projects and plans for their expansion, as well as reviewed a number of topics related to enhancing cooperation across various sectors, including industry, environment, agriculture, transport, health, education, science, and technology.

The two sides agreed to take the necessary steps to move forward with strengthening trade and investment cooperation, with the aim of increasing trade volumes and facilitating the flow of goods, services, and investments.

At the conclusion of the meeting, H.E. Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, and H.E. Mr. Chris Bryant, Minister of State for Trade at the UK Department for Business and Trade, signed the minutes of the fourth meeting of the joint ministerial committee between the two countries.