Ambassador Al-Sai told journalists on Friday that whilst political relations between Qatar and the Seychelles are good, there was ample room for greater economic cooperation, noting that the recent decision by Qatar Airways to add the Seychelles to its route network would help provide a catalyst for this.

"Now that Qatar Airways is flying here it is a good opportunity for people of Seychelles to come (to Qatar), and a good opportunity for investors from Qatar to come and look to the opportunities that Seychelles can provide," he observed.

Earlier this year, Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar, officially opened the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC). The new QFC law seeks to diversify the Qatari economy away from its dependence on oil wealth by encouraging project finance, private wealth management, insurance of all categories, Islamic finance and a wide range of investment, corporate and private banking opportunities.