The Hon Danny Pearson MP – travel report – Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, 7 to 13 February 2026

*The above costs are not final and complete

Purpose of travel

The primary purpose of travel was to strengthen Victoria’s economic engagement with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The program included meetings to deepen government-to-government relationships, expand international education partnerships, and advance trade and investment opportunities. The visit also included attendance at World Health Expo (WHX Dubai) to support Victorian companies exhibiting and showcase Victoria’s capabilities across the life sciences sector.

Victoria’s engagement with strategic partners in the Gulf region has continued to grow. Victorian companies continue to explore pathways to increase their exports to the region while others consider market entry opportunities.

The visit provided an opportunity to reinforce these objectives for Victoria and marked the first official visit by a Victorian Government Minister to Qatar.

It also provided an opportunity to undertake a reciprocal high-level visit to Saudi Arabia to demonstrate commitment to further engagement and to strengthening bilateral ties.

2026 marks 29 years since the opening of the Victorian Government Trade and Investment office in Dubai. Reinforcing the relationships Victoria has established over decades and economic links, the visit to the UAE provided an opportunity to discuss the benefits of the recently implemented Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Australia and the UAE.

Benefits of travel to the State of Victoria

Qatar

Qatar has emerged as a new market of opportunity for Victoria and a market where Victoria can benefit from early mover advantage by building on relationships established through senior level visits to Melbourne by the Qatar Chamber of Commerce in September 2025 and visits to Qatar, including the Victorian Sports Economy Trade Mission to the Gulf in November 2025. Qatar is Victoria’s sixth most valuable merchandise export market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Qatar is an important investment partner, and Victorian universities are actively seeking to increase transnational partnerships in Qatar.

The benefits of travel to Qatar included:

Doha

• Meeting with the Australian Ambassador to Qatar and the Deputy Head of Mission to receive a briefing on the diplomatic and commercial relationship between Australia and Qatar and strategic opportunities for Victoria to grow the economic relationship.
• Meeting with the Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs to enhance Victoria–Qatar economic ties and explore opportunities to expand trade and international education links.
• Visiting the Qatar Foundation to gain insights into its work in education, innovation, research, and community development and to explore potential collaboration opportunities, particularly across its priority areas of education and sport (including women in sport) and broader community development.
• Visiting Barzan University College campus to promote Swinburne University of Technology’s delivery of Bachelor and Masters’ programs in Qatar (the first and currently only Australian university offering qualifications in Qatar), supported by the Victorian Government through the Yes to International Students Fund. This provided an opportunity to engage with students firsthand and gain a deeper understanding of the operationalisation of offshore program delivery between Victorian education providers and Qatari institutions. It also highlighted Victoria’s high quality international education sector, reflected in strong international rankings, comprehensive regulatory oversight and the support provided to international students.
• Undertaking an interview with Qatar TV to elevate Victoria’s profile in Qatar and highlight the importance of the first visit by a Victorian Government Minister to the country in growing our relationship and bilateral trade, investment and international education opportunities.
• Hosting a networking engagement with senior industry leaders and the wider business community in Qatar to strengthen institutional and commercial relationships and promote Victoria as an attractive destination for trade, investment and education partnerships.
• Meeting with the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman and Vice Chairman, building on a meeting during the Chairman’s visit to Melbourne in September 2025, to discuss areas across trade and investment where Victoria and the Chamber of Commerce can work together to grow our economic relationship, particularly in technology.
• Undertaking a site visit to the Pearl Island Lulu Hypermarket flagship store to see the range of Victorian food and beverage products available to local customers in Qatar and meeting with Lulu Group to enquire about their plans for the Australian market, following a recent invitation from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to establish retail operations in Australia.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is the largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and an increasingly significant trade, investment and international education partner for Victoria. It is Victoria’s second most valuable merchandise export market in the MENA region and largest source of international student enrolments from the Gulf region. The visit builds on important economic engagements Victoria has driven with the market including welcoming the Saudi Health Minister to Melbourne in August 2025 and leading 2 Victorian Sports Economy Trade Missions to the market in 2024 and 2025.

The benefits of travel to Saudi Arabia included:

Riyadh

• Meeting with the Minister of Health and Vice Minister for Health Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the Australia Saudi Business Forum to discuss opportunities for collaboration between Victoria’s and Saudi Arabia’s health and life sciences sectors, including in medical research, health workforce training, digital health and clinical trials. This also included the opportunity to invite and discuss plans for an inbound health technologies delegation from Saudi Arabia to Victoria.
• Meeting with Humain, a world-leading AI company launched by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of KSA with a mandate to operate across the full AI value chain in support of KSA’s economic transformation. This meeting was an opportunity to position Victoria as a policy-led and innovation-driven AI partner as well as to share the Victorian Government’s approach to responsible AI, skills development and industry adoption, and discuss potential collaboration that align with Humain’s global expansion strategy.
• Undertaking a site visit to Misk City, one of the most advanced giga projects in KSA focused on innovation and education, to explore opportunities for collaboration between Victoria and Misk-supported initiatives.
• Chairing a Giga-Projects Roundtable to engage with senior executives leading Saudi Arabia’s flagship development projects together with representatives from entities supporting Saudi Vision 2030, including Public Investment Fund (PIF) owned agencies and investment bodies. This roundtable provided a platform to highlight Victoria’s strong economy and proven expertise in delivering large-scale infrastructure and urban development projects and explore potential partnership opportunities for Victorian companies to support significant projects under Saudi Vision 2030.
• Meeting with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) to discuss its approach to implementing the Saudi national data and AI agenda and to seek insights into the opportunities for collaborations. This also provided a platform to share the Victorian Government’s approach to AI, discuss potential areas for partnership and where Victorian companies may be able to contribute their capabilities, and explore opportunities to continue sharing learning and best practice.
• Meeting with the General Authority of Foreign Trade to identify opportunities to facilitate increased two-way trade and investment between Victoria and Saudi Arabia and explore priority sectors for collaboration, including digital technology, food and fibre, sports and major events, aviation and infrastructure.
• Co-hosting a Victoria Connections Alumni Networking Event to recognise and showcase the value of people‑to‑people connections between Victoria and Saudi Arabia, including the contribution of the Victorian alumni community.
• Meeting with the Australian Ambassador and Deputy Head of Mission to KSA to receive a briefing on the diplomatic and commercial relationship between Australia and KSA.
• Meeting with the Saudi Air Connectivity Program to position Melbourne as a priority destination for future entry by Saudi Arabian airlines into the Australian market.

United Arab Emirates

Victoria and the UAE share a longstanding economic relationship with close trade, investment and international education ties. Victoria was the first Australian state or territory to establish a trade and investment office in Dubai in 1997, supporting substantial outcomes for Victorian businesses across traditional and emerging industries. The Australia-UAE CEPA entered into force on 1 October 2025 supporting the competitive positioning in the UAE of key Victorian exports.

The UAE is Victoria’s most valuable merchandise export market in the MENA region. The UAE is also an important source of investment into Victoria and market for international education research and transnational education partnerships.

The benefits of travel to the UAE included:

Dubai

• Meeting with Chemist Warehouse and key Victorian brands active in market, including Ego Pharmaceuticals, Swisse Wellness and Bondi Sands to discuss their strategic engagement with the UAE and broader Middle East region.
  • The site visit to a Chemist Warehouse store facilitated a firsthand view of the Victorian products available through their UAE stores.
• Meeting with Australia’s Ambassador to the UAE and Australia’s Consul-General in Dubai to receive a briefing on the diplomatic and commercial relationship between Australia and the UAE and strategic opportunities for Victoria to contribute to the economic relationship.
• Hosting a Business Networking Dinner to build and reinforce connections with UAE trade and investment stakeholders and Victorian organisations operating in the UAE. This included the opportunity to promote Victoria as an attractive destination for trade, investment and education partnerships and to gain insights into the UAE business environment, including opportunities for Victorian businesses and the role of Victorian Government engagement in supporting economic growth.
• Meeting with Dubai Sports Council to strengthen Victoria’s relationship and discuss opportunities to further collaborate and grow sports business opportunities. This included inviting the Secretary General to bring a sports economy delegation to Melbourne to connect with Victoria’s sports economy leaders and experience firsthand Victoria’s world-class sport, tourism and major events ecosystem.
• Showcasing Victoria’s health sector on the world stage at the WHX 2026 in Dubai, one of the world’s largest health trade shows, elevating the presence of 13 Victorian companies exhibiting at the conference. Attendance at WHX included, speaking on the WHX Future X Stage on the topic ‘From Policy to Progress: How Governments Enable HealthTech Innovation, Jobs and Global Scale’, which provided a platform to promote Victoria’s reputation as a global biotech hub and showcased the capability of the state’s health and life sciences sector to an international audience.
• Meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of AI, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism to seek insights on the opportunities, challenges and initiatives shaping the department’s effective use and navigation of AI in its work to grow the Dubai economy. The meeting provided insights into Dubai’s experience and approach to AI adoption and allowed for the sharing of Victoria’s approach to AI. Potential areas for collaboration and where Victoria may be able to contribute its capabilities were discussed, particularly in the area of sports technology.

Next steps/Follow up

Qatar

• Continue to engage with the Qatar Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs to deepen bilateral economic cooperation.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen engagement with Qatar Foundation, including exploring Victorian participation in flagship platforms such as the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) and World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH).
• Consider participation in the Web Summit and how Victorian companies may be able to benefit from active engagement at the show.
• Continue engagement with Lulu Group to support their existing investment in Victoria and any future expansion in Australia.
• Extend invitations to key Qatari stakeholders to participate in Data Center World Australia and The AI Summit Australia to be held in Melbourne in September, positioning Victoria as a regional hub for digital infrastructure and advanced technologies.

Saudi Arabia

• Explore opportunities for Victorian education institutions to support KSA’s economic diversification agenda under Saudi Vision 2030, particularly through vocational education and skills training, executive education and workforce upskilling programs aligned with priority sectors and needs around the giga-projects.
• Maintain engagement with relevant Saudi stakeholders, including aviation, transport and tourism authorities, to advocate for the establishment of a direct air connection between Melbourne and Riyadh to facilitate trade, investment, tourism and education mobility.
• Extend invitations to key Saudi stakeholders across government and industry to attend Data Center World Australia, The AI Summit Australia and SportNXT, the leading sports conference in the Asia-Pacific, to be held in Melbourne in September 2026.
• Continue to explore participation at key trade shows in Saudi Arabia, including BIO Middle East and the Saudi Food Show in 2026.

United Arab Emirates

• Continue working with Chemist Warehouse to make connections to new Victorian beauty and wellness brands that have potential to succeed in the UAE market.
• Continue to advocate to Victorian companies the benefits of the recently enforced CEPA agreement between Australia and the UAE.
• Invite key government and industry representatives to attend the Data Center World Australia, The AI Summit Australia and SportNXT, being held in Melbourne in September.
• Maintain ongoing engagement with Victorian companies that participated at WHX and explore how to best support their global expansion plans.
• Continue conversations with the Dubai Sports Council and assess the possibility of entering into a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen the bilateral sports ecosystems, subject to the requirements of Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Act 2020.

Following the official visit, the recent conflict in the Middle East has introduced new complexities that may influence the timing of certain next steps and follow-up actions.