Qatar- Germany bilateral relationship has reached new heights following the highly successful three-day visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to the Europe’s largest economy.
Qatar already enjoys a very friendly relationship with Germany, which is among its most important trading partners.
Opening the 9th Qatar-Germany Business Forum in Berlin on Friday, His Highness the Amir announced Qatar’s plans to further invest €10bn in Germany over the next five years.
The planned investments would add to the current portfolio of Qatari investments in Germany, which now stands at more than €25bn.
These investments include key projects in automobile, information technology and banking sectors.
A significant development during the Forum in Berlin was the formation of a ‘Joint Task Force for Trade and Investment’.
The task force comprises members from the Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) and the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce and will go a long way in further enhancing the economic ties between the two countries.
His Highness the Amir noted the volume of trade exchange between Qatar and Germany doubled between 2011 and 2016 to reach about €2.8bn, “mostly in favour of Germany, which has become the third largest world exporter to Qatar.”
“This volume of exchange decreased in 2017 due to temporary regional reasons, which were imposed on us, leading to a short-lived drop in Qatar’s imports from various countries,” the Amir said.
The Amir noted that many German companies have located to Qatar and are participating in various big ticket projects being undertaken in the country.
Furthermore, German companies operating in Qatar play a significant role in the development of Qatar’s economy. More than 300 companies are active in vital sectors such as construction, infrastructure, and consultancy services.
The Amir underscored Qatar’s gratitude to Germany’s support for the country.
“I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to extend my thanks and appreciation to Her Excellency Chancellor Angela Merkel for her support and keenness to make this forum a success, reflecting the depth and strength of the relations between the State of Qatar and the Federal Republic of Germany at all levels.
“We are aware of the strength of the German economy, and Germany’s central active role in Europe. We respect its developmental work in the southern hemisphere, and its thoughtful rational role on the international arena,” the Amir said.
Chancellor Merkel welcomed the Qatari investments announced by His Highness the Amir and said, “Qatar will find in Germany competent business partners in addition to the appropriate economic and regulatory conditions,” adding that there are many opportunities for strengthening economic relations between the two countries.
“We must exploit these opportunities, especially if we look at the tense situation in the Gulf region, which negatively affects the trade relations between the Gulf states,” she said.
Merkel also affirmed Germany’s support for all constructive efforts to settle the Gulf crisis, including that of Kuwait, adding that “we need a strong security structure in the Gulf to depend on, to solve conflicts and avoid them in the future.”

A significant development during the Forum in Berlin was the formation of a ‘Joint Task Force for Trade and Investment’