The emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad al Zani, landed in Madrid this Monday to unfold a two-day agenda of a marked economic nature, against the background of the energy crisis in Europe. Upon his arrival in Madrid, King Felipe went to greet him at the El Pardo palace, which will be the official residence of the Qatari president during his state visit, which begins on Tuesday.
Qatar is one of the most prosperous countries in the world thanks to its gas reserves, and it is also the fifth largest supplier of natural gas to Spain. Al Zani is traveling with a large delegation from his government, including the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Industry and Trade, and the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, who will be one of the busiest . He is also accompanied by his wife, Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim al Zani.
The program of the visit starts this Tuesday morning, with the formal official reception with military honors in the courtyard of the Royal Palace of Madrid by the King and Queen, together with the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and other personalities. This is Al Zani's first visit to Spain, since he succeeded his father in 2013 after his abdication, but not his first meeting with King Felipe, with whom he had the opportunity to meet in September 2016 in New York on the occasion of the UN General Assembly. His father, Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al Zani, visited Spain in April 2011.
The objective of the trip, reports the Qatari embassy in a statement, is to strengthen cooperation at all levels, which is why various business and commercial collaboration agreements will be signed. In addition, issues related to energy, sustainability and the Qatar 2022 World Cup, which will be held between November and December, will be discussed during the visit. "Qatar and Spain have maintained a relationship of friendship and harmony for many years", highlighted the Qatari ambassador, Abdalla al Hamar, trusting that the emir's visit "will result in a reinforcement of cooperation between the two countries in all sectors ".
After the reception at the Royal Palace, Al Zani will go to the nearby Senate headquarters, where he will be received by its president, Ander Gil, and the president of Congress, Meritxell Batet, who will award him the respective medals of both chambers. Next, the emir will hold a meeting with the King at the Zarzuela palace, where the King and Queen will later offer the sheikh and his wife an honorary lunch. In the afternoon, the emir will travel to the Madrid City Hall, where he will receive the keys to the city from the mayor, José Luis Martínez Almeida. The first day of his visit will conclude with the gala dinner in his honor that the King and Queen will offer at the Royal Palace, which will be attended by Sánchez and other members of the Government, as well as other personalities and businessmen linked to the country of Gulf.
On Wednesday, Al Zani will meet with the President of the Government at the Moncloa Palace. It will be the time to thoroughly address bilateral relations, especially at the economic level, in the current energy context. Qatar, which has the third largest natural gas reserves in the world, has become a coveted partner for Europe, which is seeking alternative sources of supply to Russian gas. In the case of Spain, Qatar is the fifth gas supplier, behind the United States, Algeria, Nigeria and Egypt.
During his stay in Madrid, the emir will also meet with the main businessmen of the country. Iberdrola is the largest investment in Spain by the emirate's sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), with an 8.7% stake in the company chaired by Ignacio Galán, valued at current market prices. market in about 6,000 million euros.
The collaboration between Iberdrola and Qatar dates back to 2005, when the company entered the gas business in the country and settled five years later with the construction of the Mesaieed plant, one of the largest in the Middle East, with an investment that reached about 2,000 million dollars (about 1,900 million euros). QIA entered the capital of Iberdrola with 6.2% in 2011, later raising its stake to the current 8.7% and has always supported the business model promoted by Ignacio Sánchez Galán, who has focused his investment of more than 130,000 million euros in the last two decades in renewables, smart grids, storage and smart solutions for customers.
The alliance between Qatar and the energy company goes further, since they collaborate in the Iberdrola Innovation Middle East, located in the Doha Science and Technology Park and which is a world reference for the development of innovative solutions in smart networks, integration of renewable energies and energy efficiency. In addition, just a year ago QIA became a shareholder in the US subsidiary of Iberdrola, Avangrid, with 3.7%, taking advantage of a capital increase in which it contributed 740 million euros.
On a diplomatic level, and during his stay in Spain, Al Zani will receive the Necklace of Isabella the Catholic at the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with the approval of the Council of Ministers last Tuesday. The Order of Isabella the Catholic was created by Ferdinand VII in 1815 and its purpose is to "reward those extraordinary behaviors of a civil nature, carried out by Spanish and foreign persons, that benefit the nation or that contribute, in a relevant way, to favor relations of friendship and cooperation between the Spanish nation and the rest of the international community". As a general rule, it is granted to foreign leaders during their visit to Spain.
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