The volume of Qatari investments in Britain cannot be measured only by their material value, which is close to $50 billion. Doha has pumped its money into the United Kingdom in areas that affect the lives of millions of Britons.
Qatari investments in Britain vary to include the sectors of real estate, hospitality, banking, aviation, financial markets, energy and others, to play a major and crucial role in the economy of the United Kingdom, the sixth largest economy in the world.
new investments
And last May, then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced an agreement with Qatar to invest up to 10 billion pounds ($12.9 billion) in various sectors, including cybersecurity and life sciences.
The Qatar Investment Authority owns a stake in the London Stock Exchange of more than 10%, in addition to 22% of the Sainsbury's group of stores, 5.9% of Barclays Bank, and 100% of the Ritz Hotel in London, which has a value of 700 million pounds ($ 846 million).
The Qatari gas industry provides 20% of Britain's consumption of this vital substance, whether at the level of individuals or companies.
This cooperation is expected to be strengthened with the British government’s desire to increase its gas imports within the framework of diversifying supply sources to range between 70-80% between 2030-2040, according to official British data.
One of the biggest investors
In April 2021, the "daily maverick" website published a report in which it revealed that Qatar is among the largest foreign investors in Britain, ahead of many Gulf countries and major countries in the world such as Russia.
All of Qatar's investments were spent on giant projects, primarily related to the acquisition of a huge number of real estate of historical value, in addition to other technology and scientific research projects.
The report pointed to the success of the Qatar Investment Authority in acquiring 22% of the Sainsbury's department store group, and 5.9% of Barclays Bank, in addition to the tendency of representatives of the private sector in Qatar to purchase a group of huge hotels, such as the Ritz Hotel in London.
The report added that the value of Gulf investments in Britain amounted to 140 billion pounds (170 billion dollars), of which 50 billion dollars belong to Doha, and the rest is distributed among Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman and Kuwait.
sensitive sectors
Another BBC report said last week: "It is difficult to walk around London and admire its scenery without admiring something owned by Qatar."
According to data collected by the "Dacha" real estate research company, the Qatar Investment Authority owns 879 commercial and residential properties in London, and this statistic includes commercial spaces of approximately 26 million square feet, according to the same report.
He stated that Qatar exports up to 9% of the country's energy imports, ranking second in the list of suppliers.
The BBC report stated that "the relations between Doha and London are historic, and it carefully chooses its properties in the United Kingdom."
He said that the center of Qatar's real estate empire in Britain is represented by the "Canary Wharf Group" company, which owns prominent landmarks, such as real estate No. 20 on "Finchurch Street", nicknamed "Walkie-Talkie", as well as the redeveloped "Shell" center in "South Bank". in London.
Besides, the report adds that Qatar owns large stakes in some of Britain's biggest brands.
important business partner
In statements reported by the Qatar News Agency last May, Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatar Chamber, said that the United Kingdom is an important trading partner for the State of Qatar, and there is a common desire to develop trade and investment cooperation between the two sides.
He pointed to the growth of investment relations between the two countries in recent years, and they include various sectors, such as: real estate, hospitality, banking, aviation, financial markets, and others.
On the other hand, British investments in Qatar vary to include sectors such as: energy, industry, shipping, health, education, trade and contracting, where there are hundreds of British companies in the Qatari market, according to the head of the Qatar Chamber.
James Swanston, an economist at the Capital Economics Center for economic consultancy, said in statements reported by the Qatari newspaper, Al-Sharq, last June: "Strengthening economic cooperation between Qatar and the United Kingdom contributed to alleviating the unprecedented cost of living crisis in Britain."
He pointed out that Qatar increased the volume of its exports of liquefied natural gas to Britain by about 10%, during the months of February, March and April 2022, and the increase of these exports in the coming months will certainly be reflected in mitigating the impact of the energy price crisis that Britain is experiencing these days, and whose impact we see on the average citizen. in his daily life.
Doha revives London's economy
Regarding the importance and strength of Qatari investments in Britain, economic analyst Ahmed Abu Qamar said: "The Qatar Investment Authority has worked in recent years to diversify its investments in more than one country, and the United Kingdom is the most important of these countries."
Abu Qamar added in his interview with Al-Khaleej Online: "Qatari investments are of great importance to the British, because their size is large, amounting to about 40 billion pounds, and this year it rose to 50 billion pounds."
Doha's investments in Britain also include sensitive government and private sectors that concern the lives of all UK citizens, according to Abu Qamar.
He believed that the importance of these investments appears at a time when the British economy is suffering due to the Corona pandemic and the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, and before that separation from the European Union, and some European countries boycotting the United Kingdom.
The economic analyst pointed out that Qatari investments are the most important foreign investments in Britain, although they are not the largest in size, as they come in second place after China.
He explained that among these sectors are energy, natural gas, investments in shops, real estate, government institutions and technology.
He stressed that Qatari investments are working to move liquidity in the British economy, especially at such a sensitive stage in which the world economy is going through a crisis due to inflation and the repercussions of the Russian war and the Corona pandemic.
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