Qatari emir’s historic visit to Guyana and El Salvador

Qatar and Guyana have enhanced their bilateral ties through the signing of new agreements, which were overseen by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali on September 12 in Georgetown. This visit by the Emir marks his inaugural trip to Guyana, following President Ali’s visit to commission the Qatari section of Guyana’s embassy in Doha back in May. Diplomatic relations between these two nations were established in 1996.

The three agreements encompass various areas: the first focuses on economic, commercial, and technical cooperation, the second pertains to the promotion and protection of mutual investments, and the third involves a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in legal matters.

Qatar has a long history of oil production dating back to 1949, which has been instrumental in building a strong national economy. Conversely, oil has also become a game-changer for Guyana since its first discovery in 2015, with production commencing in December 2019. Notably, in October, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ranked Guyana second only to Kuwait in terms of oil reserves per capita, surpassing Saudi Arabia, Norway, and Qatar in this regard.

Guyana already boasts the third-highest reserves in the Latin America-Caribbean Region and has discovered over 10% of the world’s conventional resource finds since 2015. Qatar has expressed interest in forming a direct partnership with Guyana to develop its oil blocks. Guyana is also the fastest growing economy of the world. It is estimated that Guyana will grow 57.8% this year and 25.2% in 2024, resulting in an overall GDP growth of around 97.6%.

During his visit, the Emir was accompanied by high-ranking members of his government, including the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Saad bin Sherida Al Kabbi, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Qassim Al Thani, and the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi.

Guyana is looking to learn from Qatar as the Gulf state is the world’s second-largest exporter of natural gas, holds the third-largest proven natural gas reserves in the world and is also home to the world’s largest liquefied natural gas company, Qatargas.

According to President Ali, Qatar is one of the countries that Guyana will be using as its role model on how to craft its blueprint for effective oil and gas management, also being an example of how to achieve sustainable growth and improvements in the standard of living for its people.

The Emir of Qatar, along with the official delegation, arrived in El Salvador on Tuesday afternoon, accepting an invitation from President Nayib Bukele’s government. Upon arrival, the Emir was received at the San Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport by El Salvador’s Vice President, Félix Ulloa.

This visit by the Emir of Qatar to El Salvador is historic as it marks the first time a leader from an Arab country has visited the Central American nation. It takes place at a time when both countries are actively working to strengthen their bilateral relations.

The meeting between the Emir of Qatar and President Bukele, scheduled for Wednesday, covered a range of mutual interests, including economic and trade cooperation, infrastructure development, and efforts to combat drug trafficking. The discussion topics during the meeting between the Emir and President Bukele included economic and trade cooperation in various sectors, such as agriculture, energy, and tourism, infrastructure development, as Qatar could potentially offer financial support for infrastructure projects in El Salvador, including the construction of roads, bridges, and hospitals, and the fight against drug trafficking.

The Emir’s visit to El Salvador represents a significant step toward enhancing bilateral relations between the two nations.