Carney Adds Qatar Stop to Beijing, Davos Trip

Prime Minister Mark Carney boards a government plane in Ottawa on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi

Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet with the leader of Qatar after his upcoming trip to China and before his attendance at the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual meeting in Switzerland.

Carney is scheduled to meet with Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping Jan. 13 to 17 in Beijing, followed by a Jan. 18 visit to meet Qatari leader Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, after which he will take part in the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, from Jan. 19 to 21.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) says the added visit to Qatar will focus on expanding Canada’s economic opportunities and is part of Carney’s goal of doubling non-U.S. exports in the next decade.

“The Prime Minister will engage with business leaders and investors to promote trade, expand market access for Canadian exporters to Qatar, attract investment in Canada, and forge new partnerships in artificial intelligence, infrastructure, energy, and security,” the PMO wrote in a Jan. 8 release.

Qatar has a population of around 2.5 million and has been ruled over by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s. It produces an estimated 1.8 million barrels per day of oil and mainly exports oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) as well as aluminum, fertilizers, and plastics.

Canadian-Qatari bilateral merchandise trade amounted to $325 million in 2024, with Canada’s main exports to Qatar being machinery and mechanical equipment, electronics, aircraft, as well as transportation parts. Canada imports aluminum and various chemicals from Qatar. Canada has enjoyed “positive” relations with Qatar for five decades, according to Global Affairs Canada (GAC).