ASEAN-Qatar ties grow stronger with more investment

ASEAN diplomats from Fakhroo at the event. PHOTO: Shaji Kayamkulam

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Doha, currently headed by Singapore’s Ambassador to Doha Chowming Wong, recently celebrated the bloc’s 57th anniversary.

Ambassadors and Charges d’Affaires of the five founding ASEAN member states – Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand – attended the event along with ambassadors of ASEAN member states Vietnam and Brunei, as well as the Director of the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Ambassador Ibrahim Fakhroo, and other dignitaries.

The other members of the bloc are Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

The theme of the Lao ASEAN Presidency this year is: *ASEAN: Strengthening Connectivity and Resilience.

This theme underscores ASEAN’s commitment to strengthening ties to build resilience, both within ASEAN and with trusted external partners such as Qatar, which acceded to the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in 2022.

In this regard, Wong emphasized: “We are pleased with the contacts at the highest level between the leaders of Qatar and ASEAN.”

“His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani paid a state visit to the Philippines in April this year at the invitation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., while Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and newly elected Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited Doha in May,” he said.

“His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim also met with then-Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong and Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the inaugural ASEAN-GCC Summit in Riyadh in October last year,” Wong added. “His Highness the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani visited Singapore in August 2023.”

He added that ASEAN is a dynamic region with over 670 million people, 60% of whom are under 35.

Its dynamism lies in its capacity to develop, integrate and cooperate in economic, political, security and socio-cultural dimensions.

ASEAN is one of the fastest growing regions in the world, the envoy said today, with a combined GDP of $3.6 trillion in 2022, a figure that is expected to double over the next two decades.

ASEAN plans to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2030.

Wong noted that Qatar’s ties with ASEAN are steadily growing.

Qatar’s total trade with ASEAN is estimated at $9 billion annually.

Qatar is also a key investor in ASEAN, investing in the energy, finance, real estate, telecommunications, agribusiness, hospitality and medical sectors.

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has opened its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore.

Qatari investment in Singapore is estimated at $3 billion, with most of the investment coming from the energy, financial, insurance and real estate sectors.

Amid the growing energy trade in the region, QatarEnergy has opened a liaison office in Thailand, further strengthening its presence and cooperation in the regional market.

Such well-known Qatari companies as Ooredoo, Nebras Power and QNB Group have established their presence in Indonesia.

Qatari investors are now considering expanding their portfolio to Southeast Asia, including the Philippines.

Moreover, investment by ASEAN member states in Qatar has been steadily increasing, with notable projects already underway in the oil and gas, hospitality, information and communications technology (ICT), construction and retail sectors.

As major food exporters, some ASEAN member states also play an important role in supporting Qatar’s food security efforts to achieve the National Vision 2030, Wong added.