Qatari Emir Receives Royal Treatment During State Visit to United Kingdom

After rolling out the red carpet for Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Tamim Al Thani, the UK government announced plans to double joint UK-Qatar humanitarian assistance with a $100 million fund intended to “tackle key global challenges” in Gaza, Syria, Somalia, and beyond.   

The humanitarian pledge was the first initiative announced during Al Thani’s two-day state visit to Britain, which kicked off with pomp and circumstance on December 3. Prince William and Princess Catherine greeted the emir and his wife before King Charles III formally welcomed the Qatari couple along London’s Horse Guards Parade.

Al Thani’s state visit — which included appearances at Westminster Abbey, the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst (of which the Emir is a graduate), and the prime minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street — is a ritzy but undeserved spectacle. Qatar is an autocratic regime whose policies are more befitting of a foe than a friend of the West.

The UK and Qatar Deepen Their Economic Partnership

During Al Thani’s state visit, Qatar pledged to invest $1.3 billion in climate technology. The deal will bring the United Kingdom and Qatar together in a “clean energy partnership” and create “climate technology hubs” in both countries. London and Doha also signed a financial services memorandum of understanding before the emir’s state visit concluded on December 4.

These investment deals build on Qatar’s existing portfolio in the United Kingdom. The emirate owns some of the most iconic landmarks in London, including Harrods department store, Claridge’s hotel, Canary Wharf, and The Shard — Europe’s tallest skyscraper. The emirate also holds stakes in Barclays Bank, the London Stock Exchange, and Heathrow Airport.  

London Charms Qatari Emir as it Seeks Free Trade Agreement with Gulf Bloc

As part of its economic agenda, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government is looking to secure a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — a six-member body that includes Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain. The United Kingdom and GCC conduct £57 billion ($73 billion) in annual trade. An FTA will reportedly increase that number by 16 percent and boost the UK economy by $2.1 billion.  

Qatar is Unbefitting of Red Carpets and Royal Banquets

The glitz surrounding Al Thani’s state visit belies his regime’s adversarial conduct. Under Al Thani’s leadership, Qatar has pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into Hamas-run Gaza and sheltered the terrorist group’s senior leaders. Hamas continues to hold 28-year-old British-Israeli citizen Emily Damari hostage in Gaza.

Doha has also perpetuated human rights abuses against foreign nationals, including British citizens. In December 2019, British travel executive Marc Bennett was found hanged in his Doha hotel room. After Bennett resigned from Discover Qatar, a subsidiary of the state-owned Qatar Airways, to potentially work for a Saudi company, Qatari secret police arrested him for allegedly forwarding confidential documents to a private email address. Bennett was reportedly subjected to physical torture before his release. Qatar declared his death a suicide, but a British coroner ruled that there “was no specific evidence of suicidal intent” and that foul play “cannot be ruled out.”

In May, a judge in England issued an arrest warrant for Sheikh Fahad Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family who failed to appear in court over a debt owed to an Anglo-Spanish trust. Since 2009, Sheikh Fahad has amassed $6 billion in debt, which is reportedly “the biggest single debt owed by an individual in English legal history.”

Western nations should examine whether Qatari investments are worth the moral risk. They must hold Qatar accountable for its abuses and stop giving Doha reason to believe it can act with impunity.

Natalie Ecanow is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Natalie and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Natalie on X @NatalieEcanow. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on foreign policy and national security.