His Excellency the Ambassador of Qatar, Yousef Bin Ali Al Khater visits the city of Southend–on–Sea, southeast England, with a delegation of Qatari diplomats and business representatives, on 25 March 2019.

HE arrived in Southend at the invitation of the Mayor of Southend, Derek Jarvis, to explore investment opportunities and build on the commitments made at the 2017 Qatar-UK Business and Investment forum.

HE was also welcomed in Southend by Sir David Ames MP, leader of the local council Alison Griffin and members of the public.

HE then visited the Southend Forum, the Royal Pavilion and the world famous Southend pier where he was guided through Southend’s rich history of tourism and trade.

In leading a delegation to Southend, HE looked to strengthen Qatar’s engagement with UK communities beyond London and reiterated Qatar’s deep historical ties to the whole of the United Kingdom.

HE was later treated to an informative presentation on Southend’s recent cultural and business innovations, which re-affirmed Southend’s willingness to invest in people and business which mirror the Qatari 2030 vision to develop local communities and cultures.

During his time in Southend, HE and the delegation shared the historical and business ties, which bind the UK to Qatar; such as expanding Qatar airways flights to Southend – on – Sea airport to provide more affordable flights.  

As the UK’s third largest export market in the Middle East and North Africa region, Qatar’s investment across UK sectors, including commercial property, banking, and finance continues to grow making the UK, Qatar’s sixth-largest trading partner.

The delegation had a productive day and aspire to return to Southend in the near future for further constructive engagements with its people and representatives.