By Humza Yousaf/Edinburgh
I was delighted to be asked by the Qatari government to speak at this year’s Doha Forum, the world’s foremost arena for discussions on democracy, development and free trade in the Middle East.
Scotland and Qatar already enjoy a warm and growing friendship and this has been reinforced by my invitation from the Qatari government to attend this prestigious event.
I became a government minister in September 2012, the first Muslim to serve in a Scottish government, and this is my first visit to Qatar in that role. However, it is the latest in a series of visits to the Gulf region by Scottish government ministers as we seek to deepen the already excellent relationships we have with Qatar, other Arab countries and the Muslim world.
Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, was in Doha in October 2011 and our Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Paul Wheelhouse, attended the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Doha in December 2012.
I am keen to continue strengthening Scotland’s relations with Qatar, to the mutual benefit of both our countries. Over the past decade, Scottish companies have exported £470mn worth of goods and services to Qatar and we are seeking to be even more ambitious.
Scotland and Qatar are both oil and gas producing countries, and we have a great deal in common regarding the development of our energy sectors. Only last week, my ministerial colleague, Energy Minister Fergus Ewing, announced that oil and gas supply chain exports from Scotland to Qatar had more than doubled over the period 2010/11- 2011/12 to $22mn (£14mn).
Scotland’s low carbon and climate change work is internationally renowned and we have skills and expertise that we are keen to share. We also want to learn from others.
But our friendship is based on so much more than economics. We have bonds across a range of sectors, in particular academia and culture.
Scotland’s universities are among the best in the world and many have developed links with Qatar, offering training and qualifications as well as collaborating on joint research projects.
Scotland produces a disproportionately high share of the world’s research – we have a 1.8% share of the world’s research citations, an exceptional performance for a country with less than 0.1% of the world’s population – and this is expertise already being put to good use in Qatar. For example, research scientists at the University of Aberdeen are helping to develop new building materials, which are establishing Qatar as a world leader in sustainable construction.
Scotland has a rich cultural heritage and we are keen to explore opportunities for collaboration with Qatar, particularly around the Qatar/UK Year of Culture. I am delighted to say that there are already a number of cultural links between Scotland and Qatar which I am keen to deepen. I look forward to welcoming the Qatar Music Academy to Scotland next month where they will give a concert in Edinburgh.
Scotland a strong track record in developing our museums and galleries, and in education, sport and festivals management, with our annual Edinburgh festivals attracting over 4mn visits annually and sustaining more than 5,000 jobs. We are keen to share our experience in these areas, gained over many years of delivering successful high profile events.
Next year, Scotland will host two major international sporting events. In July 2014 we welcome the world to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and in September we host the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, the third most viewed sports event in the world. As Qatar’s responsibility approaches for hosting the Football World Cup in 2022, we will happily share Scotland’s expertise in major event management. Hopefully, Scotland will qualify!
The year 2014 is a huge one in Scotland, as it is when we hold our referendum on independence. At the 13th Doha Forum, I look forward to explaining more about this historic, peaceful and democratic process that has been agreed between the UK and Scottish governments.
I am also very much looking forward to taking the Qatari- Scotland relationship a stage further. There is, I believe, much that we can share with, and learn from, each other.
*Humza Yousaf is minister for external affairs and international development in the Scottish government.