DOHA: The mission to attract new Middle Eastern investors continues for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Qatar, with a packed schedule awaiting the prime minister in his three-day official visit to the Gulf state.
Total two-way trade between Malaysia and Qatar in 2023 stood at RM4.2 billion, and has been consistently high since first touching the billion ringgit mark in 2022.
Anwar begins his visit today with an official reception in the Amiri Diwan, the sovereign body and administrative office of the emir.
He is expected to be greeted by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The obvious focus in Amiri Diwan will be the four-eyed meeting between Anwar and the emir, as well as discussions with the prime minister's counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is also Qatar's foreign minister.
Aside from focusing on potential investments and the significant bilateral relations between Kuala Lumpur and Doha, deemed crucial since they began in 1974, the meeting is also expected to touch upon the conflicts in the Middle East, particularly those concerning Palestine.
Malaysia is among the countries which has been most vocal in support of the Palestinian cause, while Qatar plays a crucial role as a mediator in trying to solve the war in Gaza.
This evening, the prime minister is expected to meet more than 30 captains of industry in Qatar where he will take the opportunity to promote Malaysia as an attractive destination for investments.
Qatar is Malaysia's fifth largest trade partner.
Last year, the nation's biggest export to the emirate involved metal and steel products (37.2 per ceny), followed by machinery, equipment and tools (16.5 per cent), as well as palm oil products oil palm agricultural products (8.5 per cent), with the remainder being electrical and electronic products.
Meanwhile, petroleum products made up the majority of imports from Qatar (47.4 per cent), followed by crude oil (31.5 per cent), chemicals and chemical products (10.5 per cent), metal manufacturing goods (9.3 per cent) and palm oil based manufacturing products (0.3 per cent).
Anwar is also expected to deliver a lecture at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University on his mission and vision before ending his day with some 500 Malaysians living in Qatar.
