Carney will travel to Qatar between diplomatic stops in China and Switzerland

Prime Minister Marc Carney will go to Doha, Qatar on Jan. 18 for a bilateral visit as he seeks to expand trade relations and attract foreign investment.

This is part of a broader diplomatic trip that will include stops in China and Switzerlandand Carney’s office says he will be the first sitting Canadian prime minister to visit the Middle Eastern country.

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The Prime Minister’s Office confirms that Carney will meet with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, as well as various business officials and investors.

The office says Carney is looking to create new partnerships in areas such as artificial intelligence, infrastructure, energy and security.

Carney will stop in Qatar after visiting Beijing for several days and before flying to Davos, Switzerland, where he will participate in the World Economic Forum from January 19-21.

The prime minister is expected to meet with President Xi Jinping next week in the first official trip to China by a Canadian prime minister in nearly a decade.