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| John Hawkins |
Bilateral relations between the UK and Qatar continue to improve, with the UK now representing Qatar’s largest LNG market and two-way trade between the countries increasing by some 90% so far compared to the same period last year.
Speaking to the media yesterday, the British ambassador to Qatar, John Hawkins said that bilateral trade in goods exceeded £3bn ($4.8bn) in 2010, and that 2011 has seen in a 90% over the first four months of the year.
He added that the locally based Qatar British Business Forum has seen its membership increase again this year, reaching around 400 members and representing rapid growth since 2006 when it had around 100 members.
“Over the last year we have seen an unprecedented number of high-level visits in both directions,” he said, referring to the state visit of HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and HH Shekha Moza bint Nasser, as well as visits from both country’s prime ministers and other government officials.
The UK is also set to welcome a large number of Qatari visitors this summer, with applications rising from around 60-80 a day to some 250-300 a day in recent weeks, representing a 15% increase on the same period last year.
Last year, the embassy processed 24,346 visa applications, 1,564 of which were for students, he said.
And education is another area the ambassador pinpointed for further growth, explaining that following the opening of the University College London (UCL) in September, he would like to see more educational institutions coming to Qatar.
A lack of school places has consistently been identified as a stumbling block for British and other expatriate families relocating to Qatar, and Hawkins admitted that this is an issue.
However, he said that the problem is not as bad as some may make out.
“Although people may not be able to get places at their first choice schools, there are many good schools offering British education here now, so they will be able to get a place somewhere,” he said.
There is definitely a shortage of school places though, and Hawkins admitted that this is one of the major concerns facing British families coming to Qatar, one he hopes can be resolved by the introduction of even more British schools into the country.
“We want to see more schools here in Qatar, and we are also working with Doha College and Doha English Speaking School on their expansion plans. This is something we are involved in an active dialogue about,” he said.
According to the ambassador, events surrounding the Arab Spring over the past few months have drawn the governments of the two countries closer together. “The countries have found that they agree on a wide range of questions related to issues in the region.”
Both Qatar and the UK have officially recognised the Libyan National Transitional Council, playing major roles in the military offensive against Muammar Gaddafi and leading calls for him to resign.
The important role that Qatar has taken in the crisis has strengthened already deepening political ties with the UK government, Hawkins said.
“We have also found that we agree a great deal on a great many different issues,” he noted, explaining that regional events in Syria, Yemen and other countries have also produced agreement between the British and Qatari governments.