The second summit of the Association of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) and the Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) as well as the first GCC-Asean-China economic summit will kick off in Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on Tuesday.
His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani’s participation in the two summits reflects the importance Qatar places on strengthening connectivity between the GCC, Asean countries, and China across various fields. It also demonstrates Qatar’s strong commitment to deepening and enhancing its partnerships with both the Gulf states and Asean member nations.
Qatar enjoys robust and growing ties with its Asian partners, which have strengthened in recent years through the state’s involvement in various Asian groupings and blocs, and through its active co-operation with numerous regional and international organisations across Asia.
Qatar has successfully built strong partnerships with Asian countries not only by supporting joint projects, but also by promoting sustainable development and improving the quality of life for populations across the Asian continent.
The State of Qatar joined the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation in Southeast Asia (TAC) of Asean during the 55th Asean Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in August 2022. Since then, Qatar’s relationship with Asean countries has gained renewed momentum, laying the foundation for expanded co-operation in various sectors and supporting regional and international peace and security efforts, as well as fostering the development of joint relations and collaboration.
Qatar’s accession to the treaty stemmed from a shared desire and determination to create a secure and stable region for communities, achieve sustainable economic development and shared prosperity, and build a unified and resilient regional identity rooted in diversity and connectivity. Asean continues to strengthen its ties both internally and with trusted external partners, such as the State of Qatar, since its accession to the treaty.
Asean is a political and economic organisation established on August 8, 1967, and includes 10 member states: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia.
The Association’s core goal is to promote a number of principles that enhance peace and co-operation among nations, including mutual respect for independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all member states.
In the context of Qatar’s relations with Asean under the umbrella of the GCC, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani participated in the the GCC-Asean Summit held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 2023 alongside his fellow GCC leaders and the heads of Asean states and delegations. On the sidelines of the Summit, His Highness met with former Singaporean prime minister Lee Hsien Loong and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Additionally, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani visited Singapore in August 2023.
In April 2024, HH the Amir paid a state visit to the Philippines at the invitation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Earlier, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had visited Doha in May 2023.
Most recently, in April 2025, President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia was received by HH the Amir in Doha, where they held official talks and agreed to establish a joint investment fund worth $4bn, to be equally shared between Qatar and Indonesia.
Relations between Qatar and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have witnessed significant development in recent years in various fields, particularly economic, trade, and investment. Qatar is a major investor in Asean countries, with investments diversified across the energy, financial, real estate, telecommunications, agribusiness, hospitality, and medical sectors.
The Qatar Investment Authority established its Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore.
Prominent Qatari companies such as Ooredoo, Nebras Power, and QNB Group have established branches in Indonesia, and Qatari investors are considering expanding their investment portfolios in southeast Asia, including the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the Asean-GCC Co-operation Framework for 2024-2028 provides Qatar with a path to co-operation through its regional bloc.
Promising areas for Qatar and Asean to enhance co-operation are emerging in various fields such as renewable energy, climate change, sustainable development, agribusiness, education, the financial sector, information and communications technology, sports, transportation, tourism, and hospitality.
Asean aims to work with Qatar to promote and support shared values, particularly in strengthening the rule of law, favouring peaceful resolutions to disputes, and building a just society. China, which is participating in the Asean meetings this time, plays a key role in strengthening relations between Asean and the GCC, through the Belt and Road Initiative, which has supported massive infrastructure projects in southeast Asia. In addition, China has invested heavily in the renewable energy sector in the GCC, enhancing the possibility of establishing a trilateral co-operation framework encompassing Asean, the GCC, and China, focusing on sustainable development. Therefore, it is believed that this trilateral co-operation will contribute to building a regional model that contributes to achieving sustainable growth and enhancing regional stability. Similarly, investments by Asean member states in Qatar have witnessed increasing growth, with diverse investment areas and projects spanning the oil and gas, hospitality, information and communications technology, construction, and retail sectors. Given that Asean countries are major food exporters, a number of member states play a vital role in supporting Qatar’s efforts in the areas of food security to achieve its National Vision 2030. The Asean occupies a prominent position in the global economic system, prompting major international powers to consider it. Asean is a premier economic organisation, now comprising 10 member states located in South and East Asia.
According to Asean, the regional economic bloc is on track to become the world’s fourth largest economy by 2030.
Deputy Secretary-General of Asean Satvinder Singh said in previous statements that Asean countries are among the largest attractors of foreign direct investment, amounting to about $230bn. Singh, who spoke about Asean Vision 2045, noted that the Asean Vision has so far achieved regional trade reaching $3.5tn by 2023, compared to $2.5tn in 2015, explaining that this reflects Asean’s determination to become an economic region open to global trade and investment.
Asean seeks to achieve a strategic vision that enhances multilateral co-operation, providing a model for regional engagement with various challenges in a balanced and effective manner. This co-operation is expected to play a vital role in achieving sustainable economic growth and building modern economic and trade networks that will contribute to supporting stability in the region. According to the World Bank, growth in South Asia is expected to reach 5.8% in 2025, before rising to 6.1% in 2026, heralding a prominent economic position for Asean countries on the global economic map.
