The Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) held a meeting Wednesday with Ross Buchanan, the Agent-General for the UK and Northern Ireland and Senior Commissioner Europe, Trade and Investment Queensland, who is currently visiting the country.
The meeting, which was attended by QBA chairman HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani, QBA members Sheikh Mansour bin Jassim al-Thani, Salah al-Jaidah, Khalid al-Mannai, Ihsan Alkhiyami, and QBA deputy general manager Sarah Abdallah, as well as Australian ambassador Shane Flanagan, focused on exploring trade and investment relations between Qatar and Australia.
Buchanan, who expressed his gratitude to QBA, highlighted that Australia-Qatar trade witnessed a 100% increase in 2024, reflecting both nations’ mutual commitment to enhancing economic growth.
He noted that Qatar Airways is playing a key role in developing relations between the two countries by promoting travel and tourism, facilitating trade exchange and official delegations, thereby strengthening co-operation and expanding areas of partnership.
Buchanan said Australia is set to host the 2032 Olympic Games and is offering diverse investment opportunities in sports, construction, and the tourism sector. He noted that Qatar had successfully hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup and has “valuable expertise” that could benefit the planning and execution of the Olympic Games in Australia.
Sheikh Faisal ensured QBA’s interest in co-operating with and increasing investments in Australia. He lauded the robust Qatar-Australia bilateral relations, stating that QBA is ready to make an official visit to Australia to explore potential investment opportunities, particularly in light of the incentives, benefits, and facilities provided for foreign investment.
He noted that such conditions would encourage both Qatari and Australian companies to explore opportunities and strengthen co-operation, positively impacting economic activity and increasing trade exchange between the two countries.
For his part, Flanagan said: “We were greatly honoured by the visit of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani to Australia in August 2024. It was the first visit by a Qatari Prime Minister to Australia. We look forward to building on that momentum with more co-operation in 2025.”
Ambassador Flanagan explained that Australia and Qatar co-operate in areas such as food security, industry, and renewable energy. He expressed Australia’s interest in developing new opportunities in the future, including increased collaboration between universities and co-operation in the fields of technology and cybersecurity.
He also pointed to potential co-operation in the sports sector as Australia prepares to host the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Doha prepares to host the 2030 Asian Games.
Similarly, al-Jaidah also stressed the importance of increasing trade visits between the two sides to bring businesspeople closer together and better identify sectors of investment and available opportunities. He pointed to several economic sectors of mutual interest for both the Qatari and Australian private sectors, including tourism, digital transformation, services, and the oil and gas industry.
The Qatari Businessmen Association, led by its chairman, HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani, received Ross Buchanan, the Agent-General for the UK and Northern Ireland and Senior Commissioner Europe, Trade and Investment Queensland, during his visit to Qatar.
