Analysts and businessmen confirmed that the visit of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the country, to the Kingdom of the Netherlands will give new momentum to relations between the two countries, especially in the economic field.
They said in statements to QNA that the visit will provide more opportunities for the two countries to enhance bilateral cooperation in the sectors of energy, food security, support for small and medium enterprises and tourism, in addition to increasing the volume of trade exchange.
In this context, economic analyst Dr. Khaled Al Kuwari stressed that the economic relations between the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of the Netherlands are characterized by multifaceted and comprehensive fields, noting that they cover important sectors such as energy, sports, food security, and health care.
He said that the visit of His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to the Netherlands is of great importance, and will give new momentum to relations between the two countries and open broader horizons for increasing bilateral cooperation and coordination on regional and international issues of common interest.
He added that the State of Qatar plays an important and vital role in securing energy supplies at the global level, and its contribution in this context can enhance energy security in Europe, including the Netherlands. The State of Qatar can also benefit from the comparative advantages of the Netherlands in the sectors of agriculture, animal production and others, pointing out that There are important economic integration processes between the two countries that can be benefited from.
For his part, businessman Mansour bin Sultan Al Mansour Al Nuaimi stressed that the visit of His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to the Kingdom of the Netherlands will open broad horizons for cooperation between the two countries in various fields, and will enable the private sector in the two countries to build various partnerships, especially Both countries have differential advantages that help diversify opportunities for cooperation and technology transfer.
He pointed to the potential enjoyed by the Qatari private sector, specifically small and medium-sized companies, which can use Dutch ports, such as the Port of Rotterdam, as a gateway to enter European markets, estimated at more than 400 million people, in addition to attracting Dutch investments, especially since Qatar is linked to many countries. One of the regional free trade agreements, which enables the business sectors of both countries to benefit from it.
Al Nuaimi stressed the keenness of the two countries to strengthen their partnerships, which is reflected in the high volume of trade exchange between them, estimated at 3.4 billion riyals last year, saying: “There are promising sectors in which the two parties can increase trade exchange and enhance what exists in the field of energy and the agricultural sector, such as “Manufacturing industries, such as the pharmaceutical and food industries, in addition to the tourism sector.”
He said: These relations will grow thanks to the supplies that the State of Qatar will provide of gas in the long term to Europe, as it has reached a supply agreement with the Netherlands to provide 3.5 million tons of liquefied natural gas annually, for a period of 27 years.
Al Nuaimi stressed that it is expected that His Highness the Emir’s visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands will witness the launch of many investment initiatives in a number of sectors of common interest, whether in Qatar or the Netherlands, in addition to discussing ways of commercial cooperation.
According to the latest data from the National Planning Council, the volume of trade exchange between the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of the Netherlands amounted to about 3.4 billion riyals last year, with total Qatari exports to the Netherlands amounting to 1.972 billion riyals, while Qatar’s total imports from the Netherlands amounted to about 1.464 billion riyals, while the surplus amounted to 1.972 billion riyals. The trade balance is about 508 million riyals in 2023.
According to the same data, the State of Qatar’s exports to the Netherlands were mainly oil gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons, amounting to 1.334 billion riyals, in addition to petroleum oils, oils obtained from raw continental mineral materials, ethylene polymers in their primary forms, raw aluminum and various other exports, while The State of Qatar’s imports from the Netherlands were concentrated in milk and its derivatives, potatoes, horses for sport, and other products.
It is noteworthy that last year, two companies affiliated with Qatar Energy and Shell signed long-term sale and purchase agreements to supply up to 3.5 million tons annually of liquefied natural gas from Qatar to the Netherlands.
According to the two agreements, gas shipments will be delivered to the “Gate” LNG receiving terminal in the Dutch port of Rotterdam, starting in 2026, for a period of 27 years, and quantities of liquefied natural gas will be supplied from the two companies that own shares in the North East Field and North South Field expansion projects. .
