In an important step to enhance trade and investment ties between Qatar and Canada, plans are under way to set up a joint business council soon. Canada-Qatar Business Council will be launched in September- October this year, says Adrian Norfolk, Canadian Ambassador to Qatar.
Trade and investment are among a range of areas Canada is seeking to develop with Qatar, according to Norfolk. Canada is also looking forward to building on existing partnerships with Qatar in areas such as diplomacy, defence, security, education and health.
Referring to bilateral ties as “really good and growing,” Norfolk said the relationship is centred on mutual respect, cooperation on the international stage, shared trade and investment interests, and contributions by individual Canadians and Canadian organisations towards Qatar National Vision 2030.
“It’s quite a wide range of areas that we seek to develop, from security, trade and investment consular services, and people to people relationship. Qatar is also doing humanitarian and development work at many places and it’s a potential area where we have shared interests as well,” Norfolk told The Peninsula.
Another key element in the area of trade and investment is Canada’s interest in increasing Qatari investment. “Canada offers great opportunities for Qatari investors - the ease of setting up businesses in Canada, our strong financial sector, competitive tax regime, and skilled workforce are all attractive assets. Several large Canadian companies have already become trusted partners for Qatari investors,” said Norfolk.
Bilateral merchandise trade between Canada and Qatar has fluctuated in recent years but remains substantial. In 2016, bilateral merchandise trade reached $211.4m, ranking Qatar as the third largest commercial partner for Canada in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), after KSA and the UAE. Canadian goods exports to Qatar in 2015 were $175.1m — with most being manufactured goods, including aerospace products and parts.
“The trade volume between Canada and Qatar is not as much as we would like. But the figure for Canadian exports of services are significant with Canadian companies providing services worth hundreds of million dollars, including in areas such as architecture, construction, education, engineering, health, legal and project-management services,” said Norfolk.
“We hope to increase the bilateral merchandise trade and hopefully it will be achievable. Obviously, I would like to see a good target let’s say around a billion dollars to start with!” he added.
Defence and political ties are areas where Qatar and Canada share strong relations, although the countries don’t at present have any signed mutual agreements.
“We have solid relations in both areas. Our governments discuss security issues on a regular basis and both Canada and Qatar are members of the coalition against the ISIS. On defence, there have been members of the Canadian Armed Forces based in Qatar for a long time. They were first deployed during the first Gulf War and there are Canadians currently working at AI Udeid Air Base,” said Norfolk.
Qatar’s humanitarian efforts in different countries, especially in the field of education, is another potential area where the two countries could work together..
“We are very much aware of the good work that Qatar is doing in many countries in the world. We as an embassy are certainly trying to make sure that we share this information with our Canadian organizations and raise awareness. Right now we are doing research and looking for the potentials and at which areas we can really make an impact. We also look at logically and geographically suitable areas where Canada can work,” said Norfolk.
In the field of education and health Canadian institutions have made a huge impact in Qatar, including through the presence of the College of North Atlantic in Qatar as well as University of Calgary in Qatar.
“The College of North Atlantic and University of Calgary are amazing success stories. College of North Atlantic in Qatar has graduated more than 4700 and among them 3500 are Qataris. It’s a large number of Qataris and residents in Qatar, who have had education and people to people contacts with Canada, there are around 500 Canadians teaching. It’s really big flagship for the relationship between Qatar and Canada. And a large number of nurses are trained at the University and it’s an invaluable addition to Vision 2030. Also Canadian experts and professionals have made a considerable contribution in establishing the College of Pharmacy at the Qatar University,” said Norfolk.
This year, 2017, Canada celebrates an important national milestone of 150 years of the nation’s Confederation and the world is being invited to participate, celebrate, and explore all that Canada has to offer - Canada’s incredible scenery, vibrant cultural scene and world-class talent.
“People to people interactions between Canada and Qatar are strong. Whether through Qatari students studying in Canada or the significant number of Canadians living in and visiting Qatar, we are facilitating cultural exchanges and increasing interest in Canada and Canadian culture,” said Norfolk.
“Our challenge is to get the word out about how welcoming Canada is, about the variety it has to offer, it’s an enjoyable destination. It’s popular among those that are aware of what Canada has to offer, our challenge is to increase that awareness,” he added.
Qatar is home for more than 9000 Canadians and they live and work in all sectors of the Qatari economy. Also there are more than 7000 Canadian visitors annually.
Consular services was launched at the embassy two years ago, as well as the Government of Canada’s modernized approach to the delivery of consular services, which focuses on helping those who truly need it most, offer assistance more efficiently, and better educate Canadians on how to make smart travel decisions, with the goal of reducing consular issues before they arise.
“Opening a consular section in Qatar was a first step to making it easier for Canadian citizens to access consular services. We constantly work on improving our services and outreach to the Canadian community,” said Norfolk.
The Government of Canada also provides up-to-date travel advice and advisories on over 200 destinations worldwide, through the website www.Travel.gc.ca and an associated online application that provides Canadians with the information they need on smart phones and social media.
“When connecting to Travel.gc.ca’s social media accounts, you can ask questions, share travel advice and learn more about travelling safely and smarter abroad. The application also allows Canadians to sign up for the Government of Canada’s Registration of Canadians Abroad service and stay connected to Canada in case of an emergency at home or abroad. We have just installed a tablet in our waiting room so Canadians can register with us while waiting to receive consular services,” says Norfolk.
In March, the Ask Travel application was launched. This provides online answers to commonly asked questions on passport services, notarial services, emergency assistance, opening hours, etc. Over the course of the summer, we will add lists of service providers (notary, doctors, lawyers, translators, etc) to the application.
“In the coming months, we aim at strengthening our response network, such as improving our warden networks. As well, we are working on establishing new partnerships with other like-minded Embassies and service providers to enhance consular cooperation and improve our ability to support Canadians during international emergencies,” says Norfolk.
