Doha and Ottawa are poised to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations this year, celebrating their partnership since 1974.

The Amiri Diwan has announced that Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani is scheduled to make his first official visit to Canada on Tuesday, to discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest.

In a statement on Sunday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Sheikh Tamim’s visit will span two days, during which the leaders will hold a bilateral meeting to discuss developments in the Middle East and the nearly 50-year relationship between the two countries.

“I look forward to welcoming His Highness the amir of Qatar on his first visit to Canada. Our two countries are important partners, and together we will strengthen our ties and create opportunities for our peoples,” Trudeau said.

Doha had opened its embassy in Ottawa in 2011 whereas Canada opened its embassy in the Gulf state in 2012.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1974, more than 9,000 Canadians now live and work in Doha.

Bilateral relations

Sheikh Tamim and Trudeau will focus on expanding bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade, investment, and sustainable development.

From January to July, Canada exported CAD $103.45m (USD $76m) worth of goods to Qatar, while Qatar’s exports to Canada totalled CAD $90.27m (USD $66m).

In 2023, Canadian exports to Qatar exceeded CAD $227m (USD $168m), with imports approaching CAD $200m (USD $147m), according to figures by the Canadian government.

Defence is another key area of cooperation, with Qatar and Canada sharing a Defence Cooperation Agreement from 2021.

Doha and Ottawa also share a memorandum of understanding on holding annual political consultations, which kicked off in May.

The two countries share close cooperation in numerous global bodies, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations, La Francophonie, and the World Trade Organization.

Canada had also supported Qatar during the 2017-2021 Gulf Cooperation Council crisis, the region’s worst diplomatic rift.

At the time, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed relations with Qatar while imposing a complete air, land and sea blockade on the country. 

During the blockade, Canada provided Qatar with more than 6,000 dairy cows to boost its food security.

International and regional issues

Some of the regional topics high on the agenda include Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip, where Qatar, alongside Egypt and the United States, has been playing a critical mediation role in the hopes of reaching a ceasefire and a captives release deal between Israel and Hamas.

Talks between both sides have stalled for months as Israel intensified its brutal onslaught, killing more than 41,206 people, including 16,795 children, in the besieged enclave, according to the latest figures by Palestine’s health ministry.

According to the Canadian government, Qatar helped facilitate the exit of Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents out of the Gaza Strip, without providing the date of the evacuations.

Sheikh Tamim and Trudeau will also discuss Afghanistan and the Russian war on Ukraine.

Qatar has played a key diplomatic role in facilitating talks between the Taliban and the international community, and evacuated more than 80,000 people from Kabul in 2021, including Canadian citizens.

The Gulf state has also maintained a neutral stance in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, mediating an April deal to exchange 48 children separated by the war.