The inaugural Goodwood Summit, held alongside the Qatar Goodwood Festival and presented by Visit Qatar, has marked a key milestone in strengthening bilateral ties between the United Kingdom and Qatar.
The high-level strategic forum brought together senior leaders from both nations, highlighting shared priorities and future collaboration. The Goodwood Summit opened with welcoming remarks by the Duke of Richmond and Gordon, CBE DL, who hosted guests at Goodwood and commemorated the launch of the summit. His opening set the tone for a day focused on partnership and mutual progress.
His Excellency Mr. Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Chair of Board of Directors of Visit Qatar, underscored the strength of UK-Qatar relations, Qatar’s tourism ambitions under the National Vision 2030, and the unifying role of sport and cultural diplomacy, while reaffirming the country’s commitment to innovation, economic diversification, and purposeful bilateral cooperation.
Key topics at the Goodwood Summit included economic collaboration, cross-sector innovation, and enhanced cultural ties through sport and philanthropy. Qatar’s approach to international cooperation was spotlighted, particularly the use of sports and culture as tools for global engagement and diplomacy.
The Goodwood Summit comes as part of the 2025 Qatar Goodwood Festival, which runs from Tuesday, July 29 to Saturday, August 2. The five-day event features top-tier flat racing, with headline Group 1 races including the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup worth $647,000 (£500,000), the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes at $1.29 million (£1 million), and the Qatar Nassau Stakes offering $776,000 (£600,000).
Visit Qatar, the primary tourism promotion body under Qatar Tourism, plays a leading role in enhancing Qatar’s international tourism profile. Its objectives include leveraging Qatar’s cultural heritage, promoting luxury travel and events, and positioning the country as a premier Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) destination.
The Qatar Goodwood Festival is considered one of the premier events of the British flat racing calendar, and the summit adds a strategic diplomatic dimension to the annual celebration. By aligning tourism, sports, and cultural diplomacy, the Goodwood Summit underlined the evolving depth and scope of UK-Qatar relations.
