Yousef Ali al-Khater addressing the guests at the Qatar National Day celebrations at the Savoy hotel in London.
By Denise Marray/GT Correspondent, London
Qatar’s ambassador to the UK, Yousef Ali al-Khater, gave a warm welcome to the guests attending the Qatar National Day reception at The Savoy hotel in London.
In his speech he noted the strong ties between Qatar and the UK and said he shared the UK’s vision of a peaceful Middle East. He described the UK as a ‘close international ally’ and stated that the countries would work together to beat Daesh. He stressed that Daesh’s “violent distortion of Islam has no place in this world.”
Qatar and UK have extensive and historic cultural and economic bonds. Al-Khater made a special point of mentioning the LNG terminal at South Hook, Milford Haven in Wales which has the capacity to provide 20% of the UK’s energy needs with LNG shipped from Qatar.
This he said was just one aspect of Qatar’s £30 bn worth of investment in the UK. He also noted the importance of educational links with Qatari students studying at UK universities including Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds and London.
The strength of the trade links, he added, is underlined by the presence of the 20,000 UK citizens who currently live and work in Qatar.
Tobias Ellwood, MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with special responsibility for the Middle East and North Africa, addressed the guests at the reception. He emphasised the strong bonds between the UK and Qatar, noting the warmth between the two countries respective royal families and the close military ties.
Ellwood made a special point of referring to the recent vote in Parliament for the UK to join the coalition of countries taking to the skies over Syria to blast out Daesh. He concluded: “We won’t win this battle in the deserts of Iraq and Syria; we will win this battle through winning hearts and minds.”
Ellwood reeled off a list of Qatari assets in the UK and expressed surprise that Qatar either owned or part-owned so many prestigious hotels in the capital, including The Savoy, Claridge’s, the Berkeley and the Connaught.
He noted Qatar’s partnership with and support for Sheffield Football Club. Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary general of Qatar’s World Cup supreme committee, has links to Sheffield after studying law at the city’s main university in the 1990s.
Ellwood remarked that he was looking forward to the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The most colourful part of the evening was when some of the Qatari diplomats and male guests took to the stage to perform their national sword dance. This was really atmospheric and caught the imagination of many in the crowded room.
Also fun for all were the displays of Qatari culture, including calligraphy and a special opportunity to hold some magnificent falcons which obligingly sat on guests’ arms while they posed for pictures.
All in all this was a friendly and enjoyable evening with great Qatari hospitality in an iconic London setting.
The National Day event was generously supported by Qatar National Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank and Qatar Airways.
