A comprehensive report, prepared by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), reveals the scale and importance of Qatar’s long-term investment in the UK. 

The report analyses the economic footprint of UK-based companies that have received Qatari investment (designated as over 10% equity shareholding) over a 15-year period from 2008 to 2022 using the most up-to-date and available data. During that period, Qatari investments generated more than £1.3 trillion of revenue impact, supporting hundreds of thousands of British jobs across the entire economy, according to the report, titled “The economic contribution of Qatari investment in the UK”.

In 2022 alone, the cumulative turnover of these Qatari-owned businesses stood at £127.2 billion, reflecting a broad and diversified range of investments. This figure was nearly on par with the turnover of the UK’s entire food and beverages manufacturing sector, demonstrating the impact of Qatar’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as comparable to one of the UK’s core manufacturing sectors.

Qatari investments supported more than 600,000 direct jobs, which represents approximately one in every 44 FTE roles within the UK in 2022, highlighting the broad employment impact across multiple sectors.

The report also demonstrates that Qatar’s economic partnership with the UK is nationwide in its impact, with investments spanning many UK regions and different industries. In 2022, over half (53%) of the turnover and a third (34%) of the Gross Value Added (GVA) of Qatari investments in the UK was generated outside London.  

Qatar and the UK recently announced that their existing economic partnership will be expanded, centred on growth and diverse, modern economies. The report makes clear that Qatar is one of the UK’s key trading partners, ranking as the 23rd largest export destination in 2023. The leading region for UK exports to Qatar is the North West, which contributed nearly one fifth (18.8%) of the total £3.9 billion of exports in 2023. Exports to Qatar from the UK directly generated 20,185 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs directly.

Furthermore, UK imports from Qatar reached a historical peak in 2022, at £7.8 billion, partly driven by the critical supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the face of geopolitical tensions due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

More recently in December 2024, Qatar also committed £1 billion to a UK-Qatar clean energy partnership, supporting climate technology initiatives, including advancements by Rolls-Royce. And earlier, Qatar also committed up to £10 billion over five years (starting in 2022) to invest in key UK sectors including fintech, zero-emission vehicles, life sciences, and cybersecurity. These initiatives are expected to drive economic growth, create high-quality jobs, and further strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

Beyond investment, Qatar’s positive impact on the UK economy stretches to include substantial tax payments to the UK Exchequer. In 2022, Qatari-owned businesses contributed £3.4 billion in taxes, with Income Tax on employee salaries representing the largest share (£1.1 billion). 

“This report demonstrates just how deep and valuable our economic ties truly are. As trading partners of such magnitude, we can mutually support economic development; sharing skills, research, and the significant benefits of our joint success those pursuits in an ever-changing world.”

Nina Skero, CEO of the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), added: “Cebr’s research shows the many ways in which the UK economy has benefited from close bilateral ties with the State of Qatar. Qatari investments have supported not only £1.3 trillion of economic activity over a 15-year period, but also more than 600,000 direct jobs in a broad range of sectors and regions.

To read the full report, please visit the CEBR website.