The Emir of the State of Qatar, His Highness Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his wife Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nassar have visited Malta on a state visit. The Emir was ceremoniously received in St George’s Square and later met President George Abela and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.
The visit set the stage for further negotiations between Malta and Qatar to substantiate the bilateral agreements already in place. The latest agreement was a Memorandum of Understanding between the Malta Financial Services Authority and the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority signed on 13 March 2012. This relates to the supervision and regulation of banking, financial and insurance-related activities.
The two states have a Double Tax Agreement in force to facilitate trade and investment flows. The Agreement was primarily proposed by the Maltese Embassy in Riyadh in 2007 and after one round of negotiations on technical points held in Malta in January 2009, the agreement was concluded. It was signed during the Maltese state visit to Qatar in August 2009 and entered into force on 9th December 2009.
Apart from the Double Taxation Agreement, Malta and Qatar also share:
- an Agreement for the Exemption of Visa Requirements for Diplomatic and Special Passport Holders,
- a Memorandum of Understanding in the Field of Sport,
- a Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral consultations between the Foreign Affairs Ministries,
- an Agreement on Cultural Cooperation,
- an Agreement for Cooperation in the Legal Field,
- an Agreement on Joint Cooperation and the Exchange of News,
- an Air Services Agreement and
- a Memorandum of Understanding on Health Cooperation.
