Security and Defence Partners
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets with the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Photo: No 10 Downing Street.
A Strategic Relationship
Qatar and the UK have a strong military partnership which recognises the strategic role that Qatar represents in the Gulf and in the region. The UK provides extensive training to support Qatari military capabilities.
Cooperation extends to joint training on a squadron of Hawk aircraft and a squadron of Typhoon aircraft and to employing Voyager aircraft to refuel Qatari military aircraft.
A UK-Qatar Typhoon
Project Thariyat
The joint UK-Qatar Typhoon squadron known as 12 Squadron was deployed to Qatar in a 6 month project known as Project Thariyat (‘Typhoon’ in Arabic) in 2022. Project Thariyat was initiated to support the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) with the formation of its first Typhoon squadron. The project also assisted with air security operations for the 2023 FIFA World Cup. The 12 Squadron returned to the UK in March 2023.