Qatar Spends More Than $162 Million on Swiss Defense Systems

Recently, a number of nations revealed ambitions to help Qatar win the World Cup in 2022.

According to the Swiss Ministry of Economy, after $162 million in air defense system sales were completed with Qatar, Swiss arms exports climbed by more than 40% to $524 million in the first half of this year.

The top five countries that bought Swiss weapons after Qatar were Botswana, Germany, Denmark, and Saudi Arabia. Botswana and Denmark bought armored vehicles, along with Germany's ammunition and equipment.

The devices will be used to safeguard stadiums during the World Cup in November, which will involve participation in security preparation from many different countries.

Providing security during the World Cup

As part of their close cooperation with Doha, NATO recently said that it would assist Qatar with security preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Joint CBRN Defence Centre of Excellence of NATO and Slovakia will provide training against threats presented by chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) materials, according to a statement from the North Atlantic alliance.

US Secret Service will increase security during the World Cup in Qatar.

Romania will also offer training on how to safeguard VIPs and counter threats from improvised explosive devices as part of the security support.

Additionally, Qatari and Turkish officials met in Doha last month to discuss security-related matters in advance of hosting the event later this year.

3.250 security officers would be temporarily sent to Qatar for the sporting event, according to Suleiman Soylu, Turkey's interior minister, who made the announcement in January. During the tournament, there will be 3,000 riot police officers, 100 Turkish special forces, 50 bomb-detecting dogs and their handlers, 50 bomb experts, and other professionals on duty for about 45 days.

Al Jazeera said that Soylu had also claimed that Ankara has trained 677 Qatari security professionals in 38 different fields of expertise.

According to media sites in Rabat, Morocco will reportedly send a team of cybersecurity experts to Qatar ahead of the World Cup.

Swiss banks make inroads in Qatar

The claims coincide with Edgar Doerig, the Swiss Ambassador to Qatar, stating that both countries are working to increase the number of Swiss banks present in the Gulf state.

In an endeavor to increase its footprint in Qatar, Credit Suisse Group has hired more personnel than UBS Group and a number of high-level visitors have been noted. The aforementioned organizations are Switzerland's two largest banks.

In terms of their trade relations, Doerig remarked that both countries are "doing OK." Between 4,000 and 5,000 Swiss tourists, according to his prediction, will travel to the country as a result of the World Cup. From Switzerland to Qatar, tourism has historically been very powerful, and it will continue to be.

He also said that a delegation from the hotel and healthcare sectors had traveled to Doha to discuss working with Qatari healthcare organizations.

One of the most recent events was the agreement between Alfardan Group and the renowned Swiss clinic Clinique La Prairie. The facility will be located at the St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island and is anticipated to open in September.