“As the AI robot market is expected to grow, Japan's current interest in AI and robotics is high and its research and progress is remarkable. For example, there is a high level of interest in this field, including the use of robots in the medical field and the use of collaborative robots to improve industrial logistics.
“It would be great if we could explore possible areas of cooperation with Qatar in the future,” the envoy told a recent briefing at his residence in Doha.
According to Maeda, collaboration in AI and robotics could create numerous opportunities between Qatar and Japan due to their strong interest in science and technology.
“These areas have huge potential but we need to talk more about specific projects and how we cooperate and invest, that is very important,” he added.
However, the envoy pointed out that the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic since its onslaught in March 2020 hindered many activities and other engagements.
He expressed optimism that there will be more opportunities “to get together” between the two countries as the situation continues to improve.
Maeda also sees Qatar and Japan cooperating in several other fields, including culture and arts, sports, and in the diplomatic arena – working together to achieve shared values and goals for the international community.
In the area of culture and the arts, he said a large-scale cultural event took place on February 4 to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Qatar and Japan.
The embassy plans to hold the 13th Qatar Japanese Language Speech Contest in March, originally scheduled in January but was postponed due to the spread of the new variant of Covid-19.
“In addition, we are currently working with Qatar Museums to plan a number of other cultural events for this year's 50th anniversary which will be announced soon,” Maeda said.
About the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, he said this tournament is one of the most popular sporting events not only in Japan but also in the world, “so we expect many soccer fans, including dignitaries, to come from Japan to watch the games.”