His Highness discusses strengthening relations with the King, the Prime Minister and senior officials
His Highness begins an official visit to the Netherlands… today
Signing a number of agreements in different fields

An important stage of cooperation to strengthen partnerships and investments

2:00 AM, Sunday, June 23, 2024

Doha – Qena:

Today, His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani begins an official visit to the friendly Kingdom of the Netherlands, at the invitation of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander.

During the visit, His Highness the Emir will discuss with His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and senior officials, strengthening relations between the two countries, in addition to discussing regional and international issues of common interest. A number of agreements will be signed in various fields.

Relations between the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of the Netherlands are entering a new phase, within the framework of efforts to strengthen partnerships and investments between the two countries, and to coordinate mutual positions on a number of issues of common interest, thanks to the standing that both parties enjoy in international and regional forums.

The official visit made by His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani today to the friendly Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is the first for His Highness, reflects the depth of relations between the two countries in various fields, and also culminates an important stage of fruitful cooperation.

His Highness had received His Excellency Mr. Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, on the eighth of November, the end of the year 2023, on a working visit to the country, and the two parties held a discussion session that touched on developments in the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, and the diplomatic efforts of the two countries to push towards stopping the aggression against Gaza. Urgently, and open safe corridors for international relief efforts to alleviate the scale of the humanitarian crisis that the Palestinians are suffering from.

During the visit, the Dutch Prime Minister, in turn, expressed his thanks and appreciation to His Highness the Emir for the diplomatic efforts of the State of Qatar regionally and internationally, especially with regard to the situation in Gaza, pointing out that bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen them were discussed, and a number of relevant developments were discussed. Common interest, especially those related to developments in the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Develop relationships

Relations between the two countries have recorded clear momentum recently, as His Highness received phone calls from His Excellency Mr. Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, in the months of April, March and January, and he also received 3 calls before that in the months of December and last October, which focused on discussing bilateral relations and developments. ongoing in the occupied Palestinian territories.

On January 12, 2023, His Excellency Mr. Wopke Hoekstra, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, visited Doha, where he praised the role of the State of Qatar in European energy security, due to its importance and vitality to the future of energy, as one of the largest suppliers of liquefied natural gas in the world. .

The Government of the State of Qatar and the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in cooperation with the International Labor Organization, also signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance the cooperation strategy, especially in ways of resolving disputes, social dialogue and protecting wages, in addition to facilitating the exchange of information.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries began in 1972, and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands was opened in the capital, Doha, in 2005. However, in the last five years, bilateral relations have witnessed remarkable development and received an impetus, thanks to rounds of political consultations agreed upon between officials of the two countries.

The last round of political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of the Netherlands was held in The Hague in January 2024, and on the eighteenth of February 2021, the second round of political consultations was held between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, via video communication technology, while the round was held The first political consultations in The Hague on April 3, 2019.

Economic cooperation

At the level of economic relations between the two countries, the Netherlands participated in the activities of the Qatar Web Summit 2024, and also participated in the “Expo 2023 Doha” horticultural exhibition.

On the other hand, the participation of the State of Qatar in the “Expo Floriade 2022” exhibition, which was launched in September 2022 in the city of “Almere” in the Netherlands, represented an opportunity to promote Expo 2023 Doha,

In this context, Nebras Power entered the Dutch solar energy market by acquiring a 75 percent stake in a Dutch holding company. The Qatari Q Terminals Group also owns a majority stake in the Dutch Kramer Group , a logistics services provider and container port operator in In the Rotterdam port area, Qatari assets also include hotels, banks and air cargo companies.

On the other hand, Dutch companies participated in infrastructure projects in Qatar, in addition to the contribution of Dutch architects in the development of Hamad International Airport, the National Library, and Doha Metro stations. Marcel Wanders, the world’s leading Dutch interior designer, also designed the Mondrian Hotel, in addition to signing The Royal Dutch Football Association signed a memorandum of understanding with the Qatar Football Association. The Qatar Chamber of Commerce hosted a Dutch trade delegation on March 31, 2019, which included representatives of 18 specialized companies in sports investment. The two countries also have an old student exchange program between Qatar University and the Dutch University of Utrecht, which was launched in 2011, not to mention fruitful understandings, agreements and cooperation in the fields of agriculture, communications, transportation, infrastructure, museums, energy fields, avoiding double taxation, and monitoring tax evasion.