Qatar, Canada Deepen Economic Ties at Toronto Investment Summit

Qatar’s participation in the Canada Investment Summit 2026 added momentum to a growing economic relationship with Canada, as Qatari Finance Minister Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari met Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand in Toronto to discuss bilateral relations and opportunities to expand cooperation in investment, finance and the broader economy.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the September 14–15 summit, which brought together leading global investors, Canadian business leaders and public-sector representatives with a focus on accelerating long-term investment into Canada. Ottawa says the summit forms part of a broader strategy to catalyze C$1 trillion in total investment over five years.

During his participation in the summit, Al Kuwari also met Canadian Minister of Finance and National Revenue François-Philippe Champagne. Their discussions covered financial and economic matters as well as current regional and international developments and the challenges associated with them.

The Qatari finance minister separately met Larry Fink, chairman and chief executive officer of BlackRock, for discussions on a range of financial and economic issues as part of Qatar’s engagements on the sidelines of the Toronto gathering.

The Toronto meetings build on a broader expansion of Canada-Qatar relations during 2026. In January, Prime Minister Mark Carney became the first sitting Canadian prime minister to make an official visit to Qatar, where he met Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and announced a wider strategic partnership spanning trade, investment, security and technology.

During Carney’s visit, Qatar committed to making significant strategic investments in Canadian nation-building projects, while the two countries agreed to accelerate two-way investment and cooperation in areas including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, aerospace, defence technologies, advanced manufacturing, agriculture and agri-food. The Canadian announcement did not attach an overall dollar value to the investment commitment.

The two governments also agreed to establish a Joint Canada-Qatar Commission on Economic, Commercial and Technical Cooperation to strengthen business ties and advance work on investment protection. Carney said during his Doha visit that Qatari investment in Canada was growing by nearly 20% annually.

Commercial engagement had already intensified ahead of the prime minister’s visit. Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu met the Qatar Investment Authority in Doha to discuss investment opportunities in Canada and major Canadian projects, and participated in a Canada-Qatar trade and investment roundtable involving business representatives from both countries.

The relationship took another institutional step forward in May, when Anand and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a ministerial-level strategic dialogue focused on cooperation in the security, defence and economic sectors.

Qatar’s participation in the Toronto summit places those developments within a broader international investment platform as Canada seeks long-term capital for projects in energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and infrastructure, while senior-level Canada-Qatar engagement continues to expand the economic and investment channels between the two countries.