A great many of these things weren't owned by the British to start with. Also keep in mind that a great many English icons are owned by foreigners--HP Sauce, Jaguar, Mini, Cadbury, Manchester United, etc. etc. And the British own a great many foreign icons, too, including Burger King, the Boston commuter rail system, the iconic U.S. Greyhound buses, etc. etc. It's the nature of doing business on a global scale. It's quite healthy to have foreign investment in one's country--promotes growth, stability.

If one wants to compare 'ownership', Qatar is owned by the Seven Sisters of oil, particularly Exxon Mobil, who extract, manage, and distribute its single project. To protect THESE interests, the U.S. have a sizable military presence (alongside its NATO allies). Let's not kid ourselves, they are not here to protect Qataris, but rather the American oil and gas interests.

So to the OP, who really owns who?

btw--personally I think the crossover in investment in good for everyone in that it promotes stability and homogenizes global business practices.