Qatar just pledged $1.25 billion in financial support to aid Tunisia's struggling economy.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, said the funds would "support the Tunisian economy and strengthen its process of development," according to Al Arabiya.
“In Tunisia we face a people who decided to build their country based on plurality, dignity and human freedom,” he said at the Tunisia 2020 conference in Tunis on Tuesday.
“Will we help them so that the experience succeeds, or will we watch them face the difficulties alone?”
Qatar, along with France, is one of the main sponsors of the investment conference, which has brought together some 2,000 leaders – including France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls – from the worlds of business, finance and politics. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad is the only head of state to attend the event.
The conference's aim is to encourage investment in 140 projects across various economic sectors totaling $32 billion. Tunisia has seen a significant decrease in foreign investment since its uprising in 2011. As a result, the country faces high unemployment, low economic growth and a straggling tourism sector.
Qatari has invested in Tunisia before. Even under the regime of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Qatar contributed to the country.
"It was through a Qatari grant that the school of medicine of the University of Tunis was built,” political analyst Youssef Cherif told Al-Monitor.
“There were Qatari investments in tourism and in [the coastal town of] Skhira’s oil refinery,” but “corruption and political disagreements halted or slowed their flow.”
Qatar already has invested more than $1 billion into the Tunisian economy, according to September data from Tunisia’s Foreign Investment Promotion Agency. These funds have mainly gone to the telecommunications and service sectors.
The emirate has also invested tens of millions into Tunisia's tourism sector, purchasing hotels and contributing to tourism construction projects in the south. Small contributions have also been made to the country's Ministry of Interior and to security projects.
Cherif pointed out that these investments haven't necessarily reaped significant financial awards for Qatar, but pay off in other ways.
"It offered [Qatar] popularity among many Tunisians and secured strong allies. Qatar is now a major player in Tunisian politics, courted by every government since 2011 — even those most opposed to its policies," he said.