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Qatar commits $11bn for French startups and funds

By Pramod Kumar
French president Emmanuel Macron greets Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Paris Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes
French president Emmanuel Macron greets Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Paris

Qatar will invest €10 billion ($10.9 billion) in French startups and investment funds as part of a new strategic partnership.

The announcement was made in a French-Qatari joint communique released during Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani’s state visit to Paris.

The investments will focus on energy transition, semiconductors, aerospace, artificial intelligence, health, tourism and creative industries.

French President Emmanuel Macron and the Qatari emir also plan to build on the energy partnership between the two countries, as Qatar has been supplying LNG to France since 2009.

In October 2023, TotalEnergies and state-owned QatarEnergy signed a long-term liquefied natural gas supply agreement for 27 years, starting from 2026.

Bilateral trade has reached more than €6.4 billion over 2022-2023, with the two leaders seeking to strengthen their partnership in economy, trade and investment.

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