Qatar emir to pay state visit to UK

The emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani will arrive in the UK Monday for a two-day state visit hosted by King Charles III.

The emir, 44, and his consort, Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani, are due to arrive at Stansted airport east of London.

The state visit will begin Tuesday when the Qatari couple are greeted by heir to the throne Prince William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, at their residence at Kensington Palace in west London.

The royal couple will then meet King Charles, 76, and Queen Camilla, 77, at Horse Guards Parade in central London where they will receive a ceremonial welcome.

The visit comes as the UK is seeking a trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), of which Qatar is a member.

The UK's Labour government, elected in July, is hoping to conclude a free-trade deal with the GCC's six nations -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The government says a deal could boost the UK economy by around 1.6 billion ($2 billion) and open up lucrative markets to British firms.

The visit will include a state banquet at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening and talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street on Wednesday.

Catherine, 42, also known as Kate, is due to play a limited part in the visit following a tentative return to royal duties after her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

She will not, however, attend the state banquet, her Kensington Palace office said.

The Qatari leader was educated in Britain where he attended leading private schools before graduating from the Sandhurst military academy.

He and Sheikha Jawaher attended both Charles's coronation in May 2023 and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.

Charles, as Prince of Wales, has visited Qatar eight times and last met the emir at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai last December.