Qatari emir arrives in Britain for state visit hosted by King Charles

The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, is set to arrive in Britain on Monday for a two-day state visit hosted by King Charles.

It will be al-Thani's ninth official visit to the UK since he came to power in 2014.

The official Qatari delegation is expected to be greeted by heir to the throne Prince William and his wife Princess Kate on Tuesday morning.

They will then be greeted by the king and his wife, Queen Camilla, at the Horse Guards Parade, a ceremonial parade ground in front of Buckingham Palace. 

The emir, who was educated in Britain, is scheduled to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday.

The visit comes as the UK aims to attract fresh investment from oil-rich Gulf states, with Starmer expected to travel to the Gulf this month in a bid to bolster Britain's diplomatic relations and seek fresh investment from sovereign wealth funds.

Forging a stronger trade relationship with Gulf states was considered a central plank of Foreign Secretary David Lammy's approach even before he entered government in July.

The UK's trade relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is worth £57bn, and Britain is looking to secure further investment for energy and infrastructure projects. The trade department has said that a new deal between the UK and the GCC could boost the UK economy by £1.6bn. 

Qatar already has extensive investments in Britain, with its sovereign wealth fund owning stakes in upmarket department store Harrods, Barclays bank, the Sainbury's supermarket chain and London's wealthy Canary Wharf - among others.