Qatar has reversed its earlier decision and agreed to host the business and investment forum proposed by President Bola Tinubu during his upcoming visit to the Arab country. This decision comes after a leaked memo revealed Qatar’s initial decline, citing the unavailability of its Minister of Commerce and Industry.
The embassy of Qatar in Abuja had previously stated that there was no agreement between the two countries regarding the investment forum.
However, in a recent letter received by Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Qatar apologized for the rejection and confirmed the hosting of the business visit.
Reacting to the earlier rejection, the Presidency clarified that the Qatari government did not snub Tinubu and emphasised that the investment forum was just one of several events planned ahead of the President’s state visit to Qatar.
In a memo dated February 25, 2024, addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Qatari embassy confirmed that the business parley would indeed take place during Tinubu’s visit to the country on March 2, 2024.
The Qatar Chamber of Commerce will host the event on March 3, 2024, as proposed by the Nigerian side.
President Tinubu’s visit to Qatar is expected to involve high-level bilateral discussions covering various diplomatic and economic issues between the two countries.