British Diplomat Lauds Expanding Qatar-UK Investments Beyond London

The deputy head of mission at the British embassy in Qatar has emphasised that the embassy is keen on facilitating the expansion of Qatari investments beyond London, with a focus on employment generation and knowledge transfer, among others.

“We want to continue supporting and growing Qatari investment outside of London, focusing on job creation, skill transfers, and sharing expertise,” Duncan Hill told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the launch of ‘British Food Week’, which runs until May 21 in all LuLu hypermarkets in Qatar.

Hill said, “Our current focus is on emerging trends, including artificial intelligence (AI), low-carbon growth in the energy sector, advanced technology, financial technology (fintech), and insurance products. These areas are critical as the global economy faces significant challenges.”

Highlighting the impact Qatari investments have on the UK labour market, Hill said: “There is significant Qatari investment in the property sector, but also in the energy sector, retail, and other industries that create employment. That’s important to us both professionally because a lot of that expertise can also return to Qatar.”

Citing a recent Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) study, Hill said Qatari-owned businesses in the UK generated a total revenue impact of “£1.3tn” on the entire UK economy from 2008 to 2022, “creating thousands of jobs.”

Qatar has been increasingly appealing to British professionals due to its international business environment and robust educational sector, Hill also pointed out.

“I think the growth is driven by professionals wanting to come to Qatar and benefit from working in a multinational and international market environment — whether that’s in the energy sector or education. There is a strong focus on education, with many British or British-affiliated schools offering opportunities for work and learning,” Hill explained.

Asked about the significant presence of Y International (UK) Ltd, LuLu Group’s logistics and packaging facility in Birmingham, Hill explained its strategic importance as a hub for LuLu, saying the area provides access to a huge number of people, businesses, and suppliers.

Hill said, “Birmingham is well-known as the cradle of the first Industrial Revolution in the UK. That heritage, along with the economic strength of the city, offers LuLu Group a great platform for growth.

“LuLu can reach small suppliers as well as bigger suppliers like Morrisons, which have expanded in the UK. From a logistics perspective, Birmingham makes it easy to receive and distribute goods. Products can arrive by air or come in from Europe, then be trucked efficiently and redistributed from the UK to Qatar or elsewhere in the Middle East.”