Britain’s King Charles III | FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse
LONDON — Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on Tuesday begins a two-day state go to to Britain hosted by King Charles III because the UK goals to seal a commerce cope with the oil-rich Gulf states.
The go to by the emir, 44, and his consort, Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani, will embrace a state banquet at Buckingham Palace and talks at Downing Road with the nation’s Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The federal government, elected in July, is hoping to conclude a free commerce cope with the Gulf Cooperation Council’s six nations: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
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Starmer’s authorities has staked its credibility on a pledge to develop the financial system.
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It says a GCC free commerce deal might enhance the UK financial system by some £1.6 billion ($2 billion) and open up profitable markets to British companies.
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UK enterprise minister Jonathan Reynolds not too long ago described securing the deal as a “precedence” for the Labour authorities.
The Qatari couple, who arrived Monday at Stansted airport east of London, will likely be greeted by inheritor to the throne Prince William and his spouse Catherine, Princess of Wales, at their Kensington Palace residence in west London.
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The royal celebration will then journey to Horse Guards Parade in central London the place they may meet Charles, 76 and acquired a ceremonial welcome.
His spouse Queen Camilla, 77, will miss the arrival as a result of lingering results of a chest an infection, Buckingham Palace mentioned, however was resulting from attend different parts of the day.
Charles and the emir will examine the guard of honor earlier than they participate in a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace the place they are going to be met by a second guard of honor.
Later Tuesday, the Qatari couple will view a particular exhibition referring to Qatar at Buckingham Palace.
Within the night they may attend a state banquet hosted by Charles and Camilla.
Catherine, 42, also referred to as Kate, who has solely not too long ago made a tentative return to royal duties following her most cancers prognosis earlier this 12 months, is not going to attend, her Kensington Palace workplace mentioned.
Rights report
The Qatari chief was educated in Britain the place he attended main non-public faculties earlier than graduating from the Sandhurst army academy.
He and Sheikha Jawaher attended each Charles’ coronation in Could 2023 and the funeral of his mom, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022.
Charles, as Prince of Wales, visited Qatar eight instances and final met the emir on the Cop28 summit in Dubai final December.
On Wednesday the emir will go to Sandhurst earlier than returning to Buckingham Palace to bid farewell to Charles and Camilla.
He’ll then be part of Starmer for a bilateral assembly at Downing Road adopted by a dinner hosted by the Lord Mayor of London and the Metropolis of London Company, which runs the capital’s monetary district.
Commerce between the UK and the Gulf nations at the moment tops £57 billion kilos ($72 bn), in line with the British authorities.
Commerce in items and providers between the UK and oil-rich Qatar alone was price $6.8 billion on the finish of the primary quarter this 12 months, the Division for Enterprise and Commerce mentioned final month.
Starmer and Thani are additionally prone to talk about the Center East, with Qatar a key mediator between Israel and Hamas within the battle sparked by the October 7, 2023 assault on southern Israel.
Forward of the go to, rights physique The Peter Tatchell Basis mentioned it could stage a peaceable protest near Buckingham Palace because the emir arrives.
The inspiration mentioned it wished to focus on what it known as the Gulf nation’s “appalling abuse of the human rights of ladies, LGBTs and migrant staff”.
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Qatar has confronted criticism over its human rights report, particularly its criminalization of same-sex relationships.
