In an effort to further strengthen ties between the two countries, President of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali has travelled to Qatar for an official visit.
The Guyanese Head of State arrived in Doha on Sunday morning.
He was received at the Hamad International Airport by Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi; Guyana’s Ambassador to Qatar, Safraz Ahmad Shahood and Presidential Assistant and Personal Envoy to Greece, the Middle East and Africa, Ambassador George Hallaq.
Ali is expected to be engaged in several high-level meetings with both state and private sector officials in Qatar.
President Dr Irfaan Ali and his delegation being welcomed in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday
The Guyanese leader is joined by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh; Director of Presidential Affairs, Marcia Nadir-Sharma and other officials for his official visit to the Middle Eastern nation.
Last October, Minister of Energy Affairs of the State of Qatar and Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Qatar Energy, Saad bin Sherida Al-Kaabi, led a delegation to Guyana to explore various opportunities here.
During a meeting with President Ali and several Government officials, the two sides discussed potential collaboration in the areas of energy, food, infrastructure and aviation.
In February this year, it was announced that Guyana would be receiving assistance from Qatar on the formulation of a plan to utilise and monetise the gas supply it will get when the gas-to-energy project comes online.
Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat had made this disclosure during the consideration of the 2023 Budget Estimates when he was asked for an update on the gas utilisation plan.
“We have managed, through His Excellency President Ali and the recent visit of the Petroleum Minister from Qatar to Guyana, we have managed on building our relationship to secure two experts that will be in country [later on]. That is, Qatar sending two experts to Guyana to assist us with this very plan that the honourable member spoke of: the gas leak and gas utilisation and monetisation plan; and at no cost to us. This is Qatar’s way of showing its appreciation to Guyana. They will be paying for that,” Bharrat had stated.
Meanwhile, earlier in April 2022, the Guyanese leader had met with a delegation from the Qatari Investment Mission to advance discussions on investment opportunities in the country.
The Qatari Investment Mission representatives were Group Chairman of Power International Holding, Moutaz Al Khayyat; Group Chief Venture Officer of Power International Holding, Ali Kazma and the company’s Chief Business Development Officer, Mazen Alsbeti.
Also, in November 2021, President Ali had met with senior officials of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) – the sovereign wealth fund of the Middle Eastern State. The visiting team comprised two QIA Executives, Abdulhadi F A Al-Hajri and Dany Farah Nakhoul. Their visit was a follow-up to talks started by President Ali and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
During that meeting, the Guyanese Head of State had highlighted Government’s desire to make Guyana the hub for agriculture and food security within the Region and further afield. He also pointed to the numerous opportunities in other sectors that would promote the overall growth and development of Guyana.
The State of Qatar is among several Middle Eastern nations that expressed serious interest in investing in various sectors in Guyana during President Ali’s visit in 2021 for the Dubai World Expo.
Meanwhile, as the relationship between the two countries grow, Guyana in September 2022 officially welcomed the country’s first tourists from Qatar.
In a statement from the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, it was noted that while Qataris have visited Guyana for official Government engagements and religious purposes, Dr Nasser Saqr Al-Mohannadi and his wife Galyiah Al-Mohannadi are the first to travel as tourists.
“Dr Nasser Saqr Al-Mohannadi was Qatar’s first Ironman and is a professor at the Department of Petroleum Engineering in Qatar. While in Guyana, the couple will visit several tourism hotspots, including Kaieteur,” the statement had noted.
Subject Minister Oneidge Walrond had also expressed hope that the couple’s visit will encourage more citizens of Qatar to visit Guyana. (G8)
