Was the Emir of Qatar’s visit a good idea?

As the first day of the Emir of Qatar’s state visit to Britain draws to a close, all those involved in this its organisation might allow themselves a larger-than-usual measure of Christmas cheer. From Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani’s arrival in the country earlier today, the lavish pageantry of his welcome by the King, Prince and Princess of Wales and Keir Starmer, amongst many other dignitaries, has been precision-designed to make sure that the Emir has as enjoyable and eventful a visit to the country as possible.

Tamim is a resolute Anglophile, who was educated at Harrow, Sherborne and Sandhurst, and Qatar remains a vital investor in British infrastructure. In other words, this was a state visit undertaken for pragmatic reasons, where the optics on all sides have been carefully designed to be as flattering and rewarding for all parties as they can conceivably be. Keeping the Emir happy is crucial for diplomacy and business alike, and the less savoury aspects of his regime – the rumoured human rights violations, his cosiness with Vladimir Putin and the country’s complete absence of democracy – will not be brought up except in the most carefully euphemistic terms.