City University Qatar, in partnership with Ulster University (CUQ), had the honour of welcoming His Excellency Mr Neerav Patel, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Qatar, for an official visit to its Lusail campus. The visit marked an important step in reinforcing the growing connections between the UK and Qatar in the field of higher education.

His Excellency toured CUQ’s modern, purpose-built GSAS 4-star rated campus, including its advanced laboratories and innovative learning spaces. The visit provided an opportunity to highlight the university’s role in bringing world-class UK education to Qatar. It also underlined CUQ’s partnership with the British Council as an official IELTS Test Centre, which offers students in Qatar direct access to internationally recognised qualifications.

Discussions during the visit focused on joint research, new opportunities for academic exchange, and further ways to strengthen education links between Qatar and the United Kingdom. H.E. Mr Neerav Patel commented: “It was a pleasure to visit City University Qatar in partnership with Ulster University and observe the energy and ambition here. The UK is proud to support CUQ in helping students gain world-class UK education opportunities and building even closer ties with Qatar.”

Ms Natra Abdulla, Founder and CEO of Artan Holding, expressed her appreciation for the Ambassador’s visit, emphasising the UK Embassy’s role in enabling robust education pathways in Qatar, from K–12 through to higher education. Mr Nasser Al Naimi, Deputy CEO of Artan Holding, added that CUQ’s expanding programmes in technology and engineering support Qatar’s 2030 National Vision workforce goals.

Professor Faris G. Faris, PhD, President of City University Qatar, highlighted the significance of the visit: “We were delighted to welcome the UK Ambassador to our campus and to showcase the facilities and programmes that make CUQ unique. We are building a strong foundation where innovation, learning, and collaboration come together to support both our students and Qatar’s future human capital needs.”

The visit concluded with a shared commitment to advance UK–Qatar partnerships in education, expand research collaborations, and create new opportunities for students to benefit from high-quality UK degrees and modern learning experiences that align with Qatar’s vision for the future.