Qatar

Political Relations

Qatar and France have maintained relations since Qatar’s declaration of independence in 1971 and the mutual opening of diplomatic relations the following year.

The bilateral relationship began to develop in the early 1990s in the area of security and hydrocarbons. TotalEnergies (formerly Total) has been established in Qatar since 1936, and very soon became one of the key partners of QatarEnergies (formerly Qatar Petroleum) in the extraction and development of the country’s hydrocarbons resources.

Qatar’s wish to diversify the economy of the country and reduce its dependence on gas revenue has helped to broaden the scope of our cooperation to include the military and security fields (fighting terrorism and radicalization), the economic and investment sector (infrastructures with the Doha metro, aviation) and also culture (with Qatar Museums), education and higher education (HEC Paris campus in Doha). France and Qatar also want to strengthen cooperation in sport and on major global issues such as climate, global health, and smart, sustainable cities.

Consultations between the authorities, including at the highest level, are regular. The Strategic Dialogue, established in 2019, enables operational follow-up of the major projects which structure the bilateral relationship. The first round, co-chaired by the Foreign Ministers, took place in Doha on 28 March 2022.
Since 2017, the President of the French Republic has travelled twice to Doha. During his first visit on 7 December 2017, several agreements were signed in the areas of the economy, education, defence and the fight against terrorism and radicalization. The President of the French Republic travelled once more to Doha on 3 December 2021, as part of a visit to the Gulf, during which the issue of Afghanistan was a key focus of discussions. Two operations involving evacuation and the provision of humanitarian assistance were jointly conducted with Qatar.

Economic Relations

Our trade with Qatar totalled €1.6 billion in 2021, making Qatar France’s eighth-largest customer in the Near and Middle East. With €321 million in trade surplus, the emirate is France’s fourth-largest trade surplus in the region.

France also continues to benefit significantly from Qatari foreign direct investment (some €25 billion), behind the United Kingdom but ahead of the United States. The bilateral investment fund, “Future French Champions”, which aims to invest in innovative French SMEs and intermediate-sized companies, was created in 2013. It is a partnership between the Bpifrance and Qatar Investment Authority sovereign fund.

Today, more than 120 French businesses have set up in Qatar, including a number of CAC 40 companies and major French corporations. They have drawn on their experience in industries requiring a high level of expertise, such as construction, oil and gas development and water treatment to win major contracts which have contributed to the development of Qatar. Several major projects, for which contracts were signed during President Macron’s visit to Qatar on 7 December 2017 (defence, transport, aviation and clean-up), were put into service in 2019, such as the Doha metro and the clean-up of the Al-Karaana lagoon.

Our trade with Qatar totalled €1.6 billion in 2021, making Qatar France’s eighth-largest customer in the Near and Middle East. With €321 million in trade surplus, the emirate is France’s fourth-largest trade surplus in the region.

France also continues to benefit significantly from Qatari foreign direct investment (some €25 billion), behind the United Kingdom but ahead of the United States. The bilateral investment fund, “Future French Champions”, which aims to invest in innovative French SMEs and intermediate-sized companies, was created in 2013. It is a partnership between the Bpifrance and Qatar Investment Authority sovereign fund.

Today, more than 120 French businesses have set up in Qatar, including a number of CAC 40 companies and major French corporations. They have drawn on their experience in industries requiring a high level of expertise, such as construction, oil and gas development and water treatment to win major contracts which have contributed to the development of Qatar. Several major projects, for which contracts were signed during President Macron’s visit to Qatar on 7 December 2017 (defence, transport, aviation and clean-up), were put into service in 2019, such as the Doha metro and the clean-up of the Al-Karaana lagoon.