The UK Government has announced £1 billion of investment in climate technology through an agreement with the Gulf state of Qatar, in the hope of solidifying the UK’s status as a clean energy superpower.

The partnership is expected to create thousands of highly skilled jobs over its lifetime, and will see the launch of climate technology hubs across the UK and Qatar to accelerate development of climate-friendly technologies.

According to the government, the new deal includes investment in technology programmes run by British engineering firm Rolls-Royce to support its transition to clean energy, including work to improve efficiency, support new sustainable fuels and lower carbon emissions. 

The deal is also expected to see investment into start-ups in both countries, focusing on energy efficiency, carbon management, and green power.

“We are delighted to formally launch this ground breaking partnership,” said Prime Minister of Qatar HE Sheikh Mohammed Abdulrahman al Thani.

“The United Kingdom has a proud history of innovation in cutting edge technology, and Qatar has long been a trusted investment partner to British businesses. This new collaboration aligns with our long-term strategy to invest in the economies of the future.”

The government said that the climate technology hubs delivered through the partnership will be developed across the UK, alongside universities, industry, free ports and the Qatar Free Zone, with start-ups able to access markets and opportunities in both countries.

Business and trade secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, said: “Our commitment to becoming a clean energy superpower is steadfast, and investments like these make a huge contribution to bolstering the UK as a leader in climate technology

“We’re showing investors that Britain is back as a stable place to do business, helping to secure the investment needed to make every part of our country better off.”

Despite these investments in clean energy and climate technologies, Qatar’s domestic commitment remains in question, with data from last year ranking Qatar as having among the highest CO2 emissions per capita, with Amnesty International noting that the country has also recently expanded its production of liquefied natural gas, signed a 27-year supply agreement with China and European oil companies.  

Alongside the agreement on climate tech, the UK and Qatar will also work to unlock the potential of genomics, the study of DNA, which the UK Government hopes will help overhaul healthcare, as well work focusing on AI’s scope to drive economic growth and improve public sector efficiency.

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To that end, the two countries have unveiled plans to set up a shared Genomics Medicine Academy, and a joint commission on AI research, while the UK-Qatar Strategic Dialogue, launched in 2022, is also being upgraded to encompass science, innovation and technology.

In 2022, the UK and Qatar signed a Strategic Investment Partnership that committed the Gulf state to investing £10 billion over five years into the UK economy, including in sectors like fintech, zero emissions vehicles, life sciences and cybersecurity.

That agreement, and the subsequent investments, were seen as an attempt by the UK Government to bolster the economy after the fallout from Brexit, with the UK beginning talks back in 2021 with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

As well as Qatar, members of the GCC include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman.

Following trade negotiations with the GCC, the UK parliament’s International Trade Committee published a report last year highlighting major regional concerns including on human rights and environmental standards, and called on the government to ensure UK values were not compromised by any deal.