Willie Walsh, the president of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry and chief executive of International Airlines Group, is to lead a trade mission to Qatar next week. The aim of the trip which kicks off on April 14 is to strengthen exports and boost business ties for the UK. Building on the success of the London 2012 Games, the mission will focus on promoting their experience in sport, infrastructure and construction. Walsh said: "Qatar is one of the world's fastest growing economies and offers great potential for British business. Qatar's successful 2022 World Cup bid has accelerated large-scale infrastructure and construction projects worth more than $60bn. "We are looking to seize the opportunities this presents for British businesses who delivered the fantastically successful London 2012 Games. "British companies are highly regarded in Qatar and those with international ambitions can use this mission as their first step in obtaining global recognition. Businesses will learn how they can leverage the Games to build their sustainable strategies and boost their long-term competitiveness beyond 2012 internationally." Qatar is hosting the 2022 World Cup and investing billions in infrastructure projects in Qatar and the UK. It was most recently reported to have begun talks with the UK government to invest up to £10bn in key infrastructure projects including power plants, road and rail projects. Qatar is one of the wealthiest countries in the world with the third largest reserves of natural gas worldwide. The Qatar Investment authority has assets of $115bn and is ranked 12th among sovereign wealth funds in the world. According to UK figures, British exports to Qatar have nearly doubled in recent years and the LCCI believes that more can be done to help London businesses do business there. Source: Arabian Business

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