Pres Ali begins Qatar 3-day State Visit, pursues new investment partnerships

President Dr Irfaan on Sunday arrived in Doha for a three-day State Visit in the State of Qatar. The Head of State is accompanied by First Lady, Arya Ali, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd. They were welcomed by Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Qatar, Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi, and Guyana’s Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Safraaz Ahmad Shadood. Upon arrival at Hamad International Airport, the Guyanese Leader received the Guard of Honour. While in the Middle Eastern State, President Ali is expected to participate in a series of high-level bilateral meetings.

In fact, shortly after arriving in Doha on Sunday, President Ali met with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Mohammed Saif al Sowaidi. QIA, Qatar’s state-owned sovereign wealth fund, is undertaking a major hospitality and real estate project and is examining other investment collaborations with Guyana, according to the Office of the President on Sunday. Signed in August 2025, the US$350 million development will span an area of 30 acres (approximately 121,000 square metres) and will include a luxury hotel, commercial spaces, residential units, sports facilities, and public green spaces in Georgetown. President Ali was joined by Minister Todd for that first engagement in Qatar. This three-day State Visit comes months after the Guyanese Leader had discussions on a number of long-term initiatives between the two nations with His Highness, Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar. During an official phone call back in April, the two officials spoke about cooperation opportunities in areas such as investments, food security, energy security and technology – all aimed at expanding collaboration through partnership. President Ali had offered Guyana as an important destination from a geographic and market position for Qatar, while the Amir had expressed Qatar’s deep interest in broadening partnership in investment, human capital development, technology, food security and other critical infrastructure. That engagement earlier this year had come as Guyana continues to promote itself as a strategic logistics and storage hub in the Western Hemisphere, especially given the heightened tensions in the Middle East and the consequential disruptions to one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes – the Strait of Hormuz. The Guyanese Leader last visited Doha back in May 2023 during which he had several high-level engagements including with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Minister of Finance, Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari in Doha to discuss areas of mutual cooperation between the two countries.

During that visit more than three years ago, President Ali had also engaged the Guyanese diaspora living in Qatar, updating them about Guyana’s development drive, its leadership quest in the areas of climate, energy and food security, and of plans to make the country a global provider of education and health services. He had noted that Guyana is advancing its global reach and its relationship with Qatar has been bolstered. The Guyanese Leader had also hinted at a great deal of activism from the private sector in Qatar in the areas of hospitality, eco-tourism, energy services and infrastructure. The President also invited the diaspora to become a part of the developmental process. “We are at a very critical stage of the development of our country and every single Guyanese, whether you are in Qatar or any other part of the world, we want you to be an active participant in this transformation,” Ali had told Guyanese in Doha. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations since 1996, bilateral ties between Guyana and Qatar in recent years have been deepened through high-level engagements, the opening of diplomatic offices, the signing of agreements in areas of economic and technical cooperation and increased Qatari commercial interests here.