On November 9, 2023, the Minister of Education, Sports and the Creative Industries of Antigua and Barbuda, Daryll Mattew, and the Minister of Education and Higher Education of Qatar, Her Excellency Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi, held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 42nd session of the General Conference of UNESCO.

The meeting was aimed at exploring opportunities for collaboration and synergy between the two nations.

During the meeting, Matthew appreciated Qatar’s significant commitment to education and sports, and commended the impeccable organization of recent sporting events, particularly the 2022 World Cup. While Qatar is known for its passion for football, Antigua and Barbuda takes pride in its cricket heritage, and Minister Matthew proposed collaborating with Qatar on cricket-related initiatives, such as hosting internships, training programs, or other activities for Qatari cricket teams or schools in Antigua.

The importance of promoting student exchange and mobility opportunities for both countries was highlighted during the meeting.

The Minister of Education, Sports and the Creative Industries of Antigua and Barbuda emphasized this, and Her Excellency Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi concurred and extended an invitation for her counterparts to visit Qatar for further discussions.

Minister Matthew also proposed welcoming Qatari students to Antigua and Barbuda, allowing them to undertake a portion of their studies, potentially a semester or more, at the UWI Five Islands Campus, the Antigua and Barbuda campus of the University of the West Indies.

The two ministers invited each other to their respective countries to deepen their cooperation and build upon the fruitful and promising working relationship established during the meeting.

Overall, the bilateral meeting between Antigua and Barbuda and Qatar marks a significant step in strengthening educational and sports ties, promoting cultural exchange, and fostering international cooperation between the two nations.