“Since the establishment of the State of Qatar, and from generation to generation, the Qataris have faced many challenges, which revealed in the past as well as in the present a deep awareness of their ability to respond to all the adversities of nature and the challenges of development in all its types.”
HH The Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani

Qatar’s National Day, 18 December, is a day of celebration for all Qataris. It is an occasion that honours and commemorates Qatar’s history, as well as the continuing prosperity and development of Qatar and its people both nationally and across the globe.

The Embassy of the State of Qatar in London celebrated the event with its annual receptions hosted by His Excellency Fahad bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah and was attended by over 800 distinguished guests, including Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon.

This year’s National Day was a celebration of Qatar’s long commitment to present the wonders of its people, culture and beauty on a global stage.

In his remarks, Ambassador Fahad bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah reflected on Qatar’s success in delivering the FIFA World Cup.

‘The World Cup final was the culmination of an immense project. It saw my country deliver a spectacular competition that will live forever in history as one of the most successful of its kind… Given Qatar’s geography, it was easy for many to write us off or doubt our ability to see things through. But see things through we did and here we stand, dignified and free, on the shoulders of giants.’

His Excellency reaffirmed the State of Qatar’s continuing mission to create opportunities for open dialogue for the betterment of nations all around the world.

‘My nation has proven to be a determined and tenacious one. We too are always open to engaging and cooperating with all nations to work towards a brighter future for our planet and children……. Qatar, as we have shown, is open to everyone. Open for business and trade, open for tourism and open for dialogue.’

On Qatar UK relations Ambassador Fahad Al-Attiyah hailed the historical ties between the two nations and the continued friendship.

‘Our two nations have seen off many challenges in the past. Together they can see off more. Together, they can grow stronger and flourish, so that our people can have better and more prosperous lives.’

The State of Qatar set out from the start to deliver the most memorable, safe, cutting edge, sustainable and accessible FIFA World Cup, but above all to challenge misconceptions about Qatar, the Arab world and its people.

“We talked about a compact World Cup. We talked about the ability to see more than four matches in one day. Since we won, a lot of people ridiculed that, a lot of people laughed at it, and a lot of people said it was unimaginable. You see it happening. The promise we made in 2009-2010 is being delivered.”
H.E. Hassan Al-Thawadi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee

In the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 opening ceremony HH The Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani welcomed the world to Qatar in his inauguration speech.

“We have worked hard, along with many people, to make it one of the most successful tournaments. We have exerted all efforts and invested for the good of all humanity. ”

With the twelve-year-long journey coming to a close, His Highness, in a series of tweets thanked all those who supported the State of Qatar in delivering the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

“With the end of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, I extend my thanks to all those who contributed from the fans, volunteers, individuals, institutions and ministries to the success of the tournament and showing the State of Qatar and the Arab world in an honourable way to millions of viewers around the world.”

“In conclusion, we have fulfilled our promise to organize an exceptional championship from the Arab countries, which provided an opportunity for the peoples of the world to learn about the richness of our culture and the originality of our values.”

The FIFA World Cup final was a remarkable battle between the greatest players in football history.

In celebration of Argentina’s historic win, Captain Lionel Messi was draped in the honorary Bisht by His Highness Sheikh Tamim, the Arab cloak is a mark of high respect and appreciation traditionally worn during momentous celebrations by royalty and high-ranking officials.

“It is a dress for an official occasion and worn for celebrations. This was a celebration of Messi. The World Cup had the opportunity to showcase to the world our Arab and Muslim culture. This was not about Qatar, it was a regional celebration.”
H.E. Hassan Al-Thawadi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee

The success of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar has been hailed as the most successful World Cup to date, across many variables including safety, accessibility, fan participation and sustainability.

‘Qatar World Cup has been a huge success with fights and aggro of previous tournaments replaced by singing & dancing rivals.’
Harry Redknapp – The Sun

“This has been a great World Cup, a unique World Cup, we’ve never seen it before, and we’ll never see it again. It's been a privilege to be here.”
David Dein – The Mirror

As the 2022 World Cup came to a close, Qatar can look back on its journey to prepare for the tournament with pride. The country had overcome significant challenges to deliver an unforgettable event and firmly established itself as a major player in the world of international sports.
Euronews

 

Aside from hosting the greatest football tournament in the world, 2022 saw bilateral relations between Qatar and the UK continue to grow

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani arrived in London Tuesday 24 May 2022, as part of his European tour.

At the top of His Highness the Amir’s visit was the signing of a Joint Communique where Qatar and the UK announced the Qatar-UK Strategic Investment Partnership between the United Kingdom’s Office for Investment and the Government of the State of Qatar.

The Qatar-UK Strategic Investment Partnership highlights the State of Qatar’s objective to develop opportunities that explore ‘the deployment of capital to invest in sectors which are vital for shared prosperity’, with both His Highness and the Prime Minister welcoming the joint efforts to increase investment flows between the two countries.

The meeting between His Highness and then Prime Minister Boris Johnson was also an opportunity to witness the signing of key Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) in various sectors including expanding the already strong relations between Qatar and the UK in education. The MOUs aim to promote mutual understanding and the exchange of knowledge and experience.

The meetings discussed many issues of concern to both countries, such as security, energy, and regional and international issues, foremost of which are the developments in Afghanistan.

At the time then Prime Minister Boris Johnson reiterated his thanks to His Highness the Amir for the role the State of Qatar played in evacuating British nationals from Afghanistan. The prime Minister went on to declare that, “Qatar is a vital partner of the UK in the Middle East and in challenging times I believe there's much more we can do together, from boosting investment to diversifying our energy supplies.”

With the launch of the Qatar-UK Energy Dialogue, His Excellency the Minister of State for Energy Affairs of the State of Qatar, CEO and President of Qatar Energy, Mr Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi and the Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP UK Secretary of State of the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) signed a new MOU between Qatar Energy and BEIS with the objective ‘to enhance cooperation on energy security, renewable energy, and decarbonisation.’

Alongside the Qatar-UK Energy Dialogue, a new MOU between Qatar Energy and BEIS was signed to enhance cooperation on energy security, renewable energy, and decarbonisation.

On 24 August 2022, Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Thani met with The Rt Hon Ranil Jayawardena MP, Minister for International Trade at the time,  met for the third Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) in London.  Two new MOUs include a new agreement between Department for International Trade (DIT) and Qatar’s Investment Promotion Agency that endeavours to continue building investment relations between Qatar and the UK.

In the continued Qatar UK defensive partnerships between and as part of the Joint Qatar Emiri Air Force and the Royal Air Force Typhoon Squadron, RAF forces were deployed to Qatar to aid in the security of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

“UK Armed Forces have worked side by side with our Qatari partners and other nations in the last few weeks to ensure everyone can enjoy a safe and secure World Cup. Our relationship with Qatar has been strengthened further through this deployment, during which aircraft from our joint UK-Qatar Typhoon squadron demonstrated the true benefits of our partnership.”

Rt Hon Ben Wallace
UK Defence Secretary

 

As 2023 begins the State of Qatar is already preparing to host a multitude of global events, amongst which are the Doha Expo 2023, Doha Forum 2023, and Qatar Economic Forum 2023, alongside major sporting events including Qatar National Sports Day, Qatar ExxonMobil Tennis Open 2023, as well as the Qatar Grand Prix and Qatar Goodwood Festival.