PM, Theresa May attend agreement signing event

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani and UK Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday attended the signing of a shareholders agreement for Qatar Investment Authority’s (QIA) acquisition of a share in National Grid, the UK’s gas distribution company, as part of a consortium, on the sidelines of Qatar-UK Business and Investment Forum.
The agreement stipulates that QIA acquires 61% of National Grid as part of the consortium that includes Macquarie Group, China Investment Corporation, Allianz Capital, Hermes Investment Management, Dalmore Capital and Amber Infrastructure.
HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and British Prime Minister Theresa May participated in a roundtable meeting with a number of Qatari businessmen.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the second Qatar-UK Business and Investment Forum at Birmingham’s International Conference Centre.
The meeting reviewed the investment opportunities available across the UK.
They also discussed challenges facing investors.
HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani later visited an exhibition which is taking place in Birmingham at the International Conference Centre on the sidelines of the forum.
The Prime Minister toured the different sections of the exhibition and viewed the latest products of different companies in the UK. He praised the exhibition and expressed hope that Qatari companies and their British counterpart increase the level of their co-operation.  
Later, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani visited with UK Prime Minister Theresa May a Qur’an exhibition, which was held on the sidelines of the Qatar-UK Business and Investment Forum at Birmingham.
The Prime Minister viewed a rare and old Qur’an manuscript.
He was briefed on the history of the manuscript.
Separately, HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani yesterday met UK’s Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox on the sidelines of the Qatar-UK Business and Investment Forum.
During the meeting, they discussed the bilateral relations between Qatar and the UK and the importance of developing trade between the two countries.
In addition, they explored co-operation opportunities especially in the investment field.
The trade volume between Qatar and UK is valued at QR11.6bn in 2016, and there are 80 British companies operating in Qatar with a capital of QR8.1bn in the fields of oil, gas, infrastructure and information technology.
There are also 672 Qatari-British companies with a joint capital, operating in Qatar.

Qatar, UK sign MoU, agreement
QNA/Birmingham

The second day of Qatar-UK Business and Investment Forum, which took place in Birmingham, saw the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the health field as well as an agreement on the establishment of an economic co-operation committee between Qatar and the UK.
HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari and Nicola Blackwood, Undersecretary of State for Public Health and Innovation, signed the MoU.
Meanwhile, an agreement on the establishment of a joint committee on economic, commercial and technical co-operation between the governments of Qatar and the UK was signed by HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce, Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani, and UK’s Secretary of State for International Trade, Liam Fox.