Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar, is scheduled to make an official visit to Korea January 27-28.
President Moon Jae-in and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani will hold a summit on the morning of January 28 to be followed by an MOU signing ceremony and a welcome luncheon. Their summit marks President Moon’s first official meeting with a foreign head of state in 2019. The Qatari Emir will be making his first visit to Korea in five years, having last made a state visit in 2014.
Qatar is Korea’s largest supplier of liquefied natural gas, 6th biggest supplier of oil and a crucial country for energy cooperation. In addition, the country is a major overseas market for Korean construction companies. The two countries have a lot of room for cooperation in various fields – including sports, as Qatar will be the first Middle Eastern country to host the FIFA World Cup.
During the summit, the two leaders will exchange ideas on specific measures to firm up substantive bilateral cooperation in all directions.
Building upon existing economic cooperation in such areas as energy and construction, the two leaders are expected to discuss ways to further expand Korean companies’ presence in overland, maritime and transportation infrastructure projects linked to the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar. Their discussions will also be focused on how to expand bilateral cooperation into new areas, including healthcare and medical services, agricultural and fishery industries, and education and training.