Qatar to Open Resident Embassy in Uganda, Boosting Bilateral Relations

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Charge of Regional Affairs, Hon. John Mulimba, this morning received copies of letters of credence from H.E. Ahmed Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdullah Al Zwaidi, the Ambassador-designate of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Uganda, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Kampala.

Ambassador-designate Al Zwaidi delivered warm greetings from the Government of Qatar and formally announced the decision to open a Resident Embassy in Uganda — a move he described as a testament to Qatar’s commitment to deepening its relations with Uganda.

“It is an honor to be appointed the first Resident Ambassador to Uganda,” said Al Zwaidi.

While Uganda already maintains a Resident Embassy in Doha, the Qatari Embassy to Uganda has until now been operating on a non-resident basis from Nairobi, with multiple accreditations across the region.

In welcoming the Ambassador-designate, Hon. Mulimba thanked the State of Qatar for its decision to establish a diplomatic mission in Kampala, describing it as “a true testimony of our growing bilateral relations.”

Amb Al Zwaidi being escorted from the credentials ceremony by Chief of Protocol Amb Charles Ssentongo

He also congratulated the State of Qatar on the successful 2nd Edition of the Uganda–Qatar Business Forum held in October 2025, noting that such engagements are crucial in transforming political relations into tangible economic partnerships.

Hon. Mulimba highlighted that over the past decade, Uganda’s exports to Qatar have increased from USD 20 million to USD 34 million, while Qatar’s exports to Uganda rose from USD 17 million to USD 26 million. He expressed optimism that the presence of resident embassies in both countries will help boost trade volumes even further.

“Possible areas for strengthened collaboration include agro-processing, tourism, manufacturing, minerals, oil and gas, as well as technology transfer in science and innovation,” he added.

Ambassador-designate Al Zwaidi revealed that the Government of Qatar intends to sign several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Uganda in these areas, as well as in diplomatic consultations. He further noted that the increase of Qatar Airways flights between Doha and Entebbe from one to two daily is evidence of the growing trade and people-to-people exchanges between the two nations.