The British government has announced that it has agreed a partnership with Qatar under which the Gulf state will invest £1 billion in climate technology.
"The partnership is expected to create thousands of high-skilled jobs over its lifetime and will lead to the establishment of world-leading climate technology centres in the UK and Qatar to accelerate the development of climate-friendly technologies," it said in a statement released during a state visit by Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
British industrial group Rolls-Royce, which manufactures aircraft engines, will receive investment for programmes dedicated to energy efficiency, the statement said.
Qatar's investment in the British economy is estimated at more than 40 billion pounds, and in 2022 the emirate indicated it intended to invest another 10 billion pounds by 2027.
The press release also said that the two countries will establish a joint academy on genomic medicine, which uses information from genome sequencing, and a joint commission on artificial intelligence (AI) research.
Qatar's emir was welcomed on Tuesday by King Charles III at the start of a state visit that will also include talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who wants to negotiate trade deals with the Gulf monarchies.
Britain is seeking new trade pacts after leaving the European Union and in late 2021 began talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which brings together Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.
But a parliamentary committee last year said the British government should not "compromise British values", particularly on human rights and the environment.
The UK has joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), signed trade pacts with Australia and New Zealand and is negotiating with India. | BGNES
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