The Qatari leader’s visit also resulted in a joint effort to provide medical and psychological support to Palestinians evacuated from the Gaza Strip to Doha. 

Qatar and Canada have finalised at least two bilateral agreements, as the Gulf state’s leader wrapped up his first official two-day visit to Ottawa on Wednesday.

“I had constructive discussions with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, during which we discussed ways and prospects for deepening the cooperation relations between our two countries in the political, commercial and economic fields,” the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said in a post on X.

“Qatari-Canadian relations extend over five decades of fruitful exchange, and our two countries share a common desire to continue strengthening our bilateral partnerships,” he added.

During the visit, the amir expressed his gratitude to Trudeau for the warm welcome, and underlined the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation across various sectors to promote regional and global stability.

Youth employment and empowerment

One of the landmark agreements signed focused on youth empowerment and was inked by Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation, Lolwah Al-Khater, and Canada’s Minister of International Development, Ahmed Hussen.

Qatar’s Education Above All Foundation (EAA) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) co-pledged $95m to boost youth employment across developing countries.

“I would like to thank my friend Minister Hon. Ahmed Hussen, my colleagues at Qatar’s Mofa [Ministry of Foreign Affairs] and EAA for their relentless work to make these agreements happen,” Al-Khater said on X.

The partnership also supports Generation Unlimited, an initiative by UNICEF that fosters public-private collaboration to empower young people across 60 developing countries. 

This programme equips youth with essential skills to contribute to local green economies, which in turn would enhance their communities’ resilience and prosperity.

“In today’s interconnected world, not one country can address our shared challenges alone,” Hussen said. “Collaboration is key to driving positive change, and by working together, Canada and Qatar can empower communities, improve education, and promote socio-economic growth around the world.”

A second memorandum of understanding focused on development cooperation, covering areas such as foreign aid, poverty reduction, and economic empowerment. Initial collaborations are planned for Sudan and the Gaza Strip.

Health support for evacuated Palestinians

Sheikh Tamim’s visit to Canada marked his first official trip to the country and coincided with Doha and Ottawa’s 50-year anniversary of diplomatic relations. 

The discussions between the two leaders also tackled critical issues of common concern, most notably Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 41,272 Palestinians.

This resulted in a significant commitment to provide medical and psychological support for Palestinians evacuated to Doha from the Gaza Strip.

The initiative is part of Sheikh Tamim’s campaign to medically treat 1,500 Palestinians and sponsor 3,000 orphans from the Gaza Strip.