Home News Qatar-Gulf crisis: All the latest updates

Qatar-Gulf crisis: All the latest updates

By Editor of WQ -

13 October, 2017

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17 hours ago

Gargash accuses Qatar of funding Houthis

In a tweet, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash accused Qatar of funding the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Egypt targets Qatar in UNESCO

Seven countries – France, China, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Qatar and Lebanon – are currently vying for leadership of The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
After two days of a secret ballot that could run until Friday, Qatar’s Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari leads France’s Audrey Azoulay and Egyptian hopeful Moushira Khattab.
In an interview with Egypt Today, Egypt’s top diplomat, Sameh Shoukry, suggested Qatar was using its financial power to influence UNESCO’s 58-member executive council.
“It is an organisation that is owned by international society and cannot be sold to a particular state or individual,” he was quoted as saying when asked about the Qatari candidate’s campaign pitch, “I’m not coming empty-handed.”
Kawari, the Qatari candidate, has so far not reacted to Egyptian allegations, simply tweeting on Wednesday: “Al-Kawari tipped to head UNESCO”

10 October 2017

UAE: Qatar review a must before World Cup

“Qatar’s hosting of World Cup 2022 should include a repudiation of policies supporting extremism & terrorism. Doha should review its record,” UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash wrote on Twitter.
Qatar, which denies accusations by the UAE and some other Gulf states said in a statement that the UAE’s charge was desperate and “weak.”
“(The) UAE’s demand that Qatar give up the World Cup shows their illegal blockade is founded on petty jealousy, not real concerns,” Qatar’s government communications office said.
“Their weak attempts to tie the hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to their illegal blockade show their desperation to justify their inhumane action,” it added in a statement.
Gargash made his comments after a former Dubai police chief wrote on Twitter this week that the Gulf crisis could end if Doha forfeited hosting the World Cup.

9 October 2017

10:30am – Qatar condemns deadly attack on Saudi palace

Qatar’s government has condemned an attack on a palace guard post in the western Saudi city of Jeddah.
Two security guards were killed, and three others were injured in the attack.
The attacker, a 28-year old Saudi national named Mansour al-Amri, was also killed.
In a statement, Qatar’s government said: “The Foreign Ministry reiterated Qatar’s firm position rejecting violence and terrorism regardless of their motives or reason.”

7 October 2017

10:25pm – Qatar orders aid to private sector amid Gulf crisis

Qatar’s government announced measures to help private sector businesses on Saturday amid economic sanctions imposed by some of its Gulf neighbours.
Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani decided to cut rents paid by companies in Qatar’s logistics zones in half during 2018 and 2019, official news agency QNA reported.
Qatar Development Bank, a state-funded body which lends to firms, will also postpone receiving loan instalments for up to six months to facilitate industrial sector projects, Al Thani said.

12:45am – Gulf blockade ‘poses no risk to Qatar 2022 World Cup’

Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary-general of the Qatar World Cup Supreme Committee, says the regional blockade against the country poses “no risk” to the football tournament in 2022.
“We have come under criticism and attack over the years, but we have always faced our critics,” Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary general of the Qatar World Cup supreme committee, told The Associated Press news agency.
Al-Thawadi maintained that logistical obstacles are being overcome and building work is continuing with only “minimal” cost increases.
“Our projects are going ahead as scheduled. This (blockade) is no risk in relation to the hosting of the World Cup.”

6 October 2017

5:29pm – US army halts exercises over Qatar-Gulf crisis

The US military has halted some exercises with its Gulf Arab allies over the ongoing diplomatic crisis targeting Qatar, trying to use its influence to end the months-long dispute, authorities told The Associated Press.
While offering few details, the acknowledgement by the US military’s Central Command shows the concern it has over the conflict gripping the Gulf, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and crucial bases for its campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group, as well as the war in Afghanistan.
“We are opting out of some military exercises out of respect for the concept of inclusiveness and shared regional interests,” Air Force Colonel John Thomas, a Central Command spokesperson, said in a statement.
“We will continue to encourage all partners to work together toward the sort of common solutions that enable security and stability in the region.”

4 October 2017

2:23pm – Qatari forces conclude military exercises

Government troops known as the Emiri Land Forces have concluded a four-day military exercise in the Sealine and Al Galayel districts of the country.

According to a government statement, the exercises, which include reconnaissance operations as well as air landing, was held with the participation of joint special forces, and aimed at “defending the state’s territory, airspace and vital economic and strategic facilities”.

10:36am – Qatar: We have enough reserves to support banks

Qatar’s government has enough reserves to support its banks in the face of sanctions imposed by some Arab states, central bank governor Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud Al Thani said in a statement on Wednesday.

Sheikh Abdullah dismissed reports of strain on the banking system as fake news and rumours, adding that domestic liquidity was up 8.3 percent at the end of July while the monetary base had grown 1.7 percent.

3 October 2017

12:45pm – Iranian foreign minister visits Qatar amid GCC diplomatic standoff

Javad Zarif, foreign minister of Iran, is in Qatar to hold talks with top officials, a day after visiting Oman.
His trip to Doha comes after Qatar restored full diplomatic relations with Iran in August.
Zarif is to meet Qatar’s emir and foreign minister.

1 October 2017

1:30pm – Iran FM to visit Qatar

Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif will visit Qatar on Monday, officials said, for talks on relations between Tehran and Doha that have caused tensions in the Gulf.

Zarif left Tehran on Monday morning for Oman and was to head to Doha in the afternoon, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi told AFP.
It will be his first visit to Doha since Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties with Qatar in June.
Zarif is to meet Qatar’s emir and foreign minister.

Ghassemi said talks would focus on relations in the Gulf, economic cooperation and the latest developments in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

1 October 2017

10:48pm – US officials oppose bid to shut Taliban office: report

The Trump administration’s reported consideration of a plan that would close the Taliban political office in Doha has triggered an unusual internal protest from state department officials who say it would undermine US interests in Afghanistan, according to a Wall Street Journal report quoting current and former US officials.

A group of state department specialists on South Asia filed a rare internal “dissent channel cable” on Friday to urge that the US keep the Taliban office open and launch more intensive talks to end the 16-year-old war in Afghanistan, according to people familiar with the move, the report says.

The unclassified memo to top state department leaders urged them to keep the Taliban office open to help ensure that a serious push for peace talks is not put on the back burner while the US sends 4,000 more American soldiers into Afghanistan to try to break a battlefield stalemate with the Taliban.

1:30pm – UN chief urges Gulf states to sit down for talks

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reiterated his support for the ongoing Kuwaiti mediation efforts aimed at ending the Gulf crisis, Kuwait News Agency quoted a statement he issued.

Guterres called on all parties to resolve their differences by sitting down at the negotiating table and showing a spirit of good-neighbourliness and respect.

He said the UN is ready to support mediation efforts led by the emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad al-Jaber Al Sabah.

12:00pm – Qatar Airways’ cargo division surges despite blockade

As the world’s third-largest cargo operator, Qatar Airways continues to invest in fleet expansion, helping secure a supply of essential items and medicines at a time when an illegal blockade is imposed, the company’s chief executive says.

The blockade by neighbouring states has only boosted Qatar Airways’ cargo business, figures show. The national airline saw a 160-percent surge in its cargo business in June this year compared to the same month in 2016.

“We are growing month-on-month, and since 2015, we have been the third largest international cargo operator in the world,” Baker said during the delivery of Qatar Airways first 747-8 freighter at Boeing’s production facility in Everett, Washington. “Our sights are set on number one.”

30 September 2017

11:35pm – Qatari and Turkish leaders hold phone conversation

The emir of Qatar has spoken over the phone with the president of Turkey to discuss “a set of current issues on the regional and international fronts”, according to Qatari state media.
Qatar News Agency said that Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Recep Tayyip Erdogan also reviewed bilateral relations “between the two fraternal countries”.
The phone call came about two weeks after a meeting between the two leaders in the presidential palace in Turkey’s capital, Ankara.
Erdogan has been a major supporter of Doha since June 5, when Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt cut ties and blockaded Qatar.
The Turkish president has strongly spoken out against the sanctions applied by the four countries, while Turkey has also sent cargo ships and hundreds of planes loaded with food to break the blockade.

11:00am – Seminar speakers slam ‘un-Islamic’ blockade

Expressing disappointment over “illegal, unethical and un-Islamic” actions of siege countries, speakers at an international seminar in Doha emphasised the need for dialogue to resolve political disputes, Qatari newspaper The Peninsula reported.
Professor Aisha Al Mannai, director of the Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Thani Center for Islamic Contributions to Civilizations, said: “The world has witnessed this unfair generalisation against the state of Qatar with allegations that it supports terrorism without providing evidence.”
“This crisis has been marked by the moral downfall of everything – politicians, religious scholars, media professionals and even artists,” she said.
Jaber Al Harimi, former editor-in-chief of Qatar’s Al Sharq newspaper, lauded the role of Qatari media in covering the crisis.
“The siege countries, by forgetting all ethics, are spreading lies, disinformation against Qatar while the Qatari media has remained committed to morality without resorting to lies and slander,” Al Harimi said.

9:00am – Report: Qatar’s ostracisation could backfire on Dubai

Dubai’s economic ties to Qatar could hurt its economy amid the months-long blockade, Euromoney reports.

Qataris own large amounts of property in Dubai, buying more than $500m of real estate there last year alone, and Qatari gas is one of Dubai’s main sources of energy.

The biggest impact, however, could be to the reputation of Dubai as a business-friendly jurisdiction, it said. Showing sympathy for Qatar in the United Arab Emirates is now a crime punishable by a fine of $136,000 and up to 15 years in prison.

29 September 2017

8:00pm – Qatar holds cybersecurity meeting in New York

The Permanent Mission of Qatar to the United Nations has held a high-level meeting on the sidelines of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The meeting, which was titled, “From cyberattack to illegal measures: the blockade against the State of Qatar”, coincided with a major diplomatic crisis in the Gulf, highlightingthe impact of the dispute and its multifaceted repercussions on the countries involved.

The first session examined the events since the May 25 cyberattack on Qatar News Agency (QNA) and the publication of false statements attributed to Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

In a speech during the session, Attorney General Ali bin Fetais al-Marri described hacking as one of the most dangerous crimes threatening international peace and security, QNA reported.

Al-Marri said the issue is of great concern to the international community, stressing that countries should take measures not only to ban and punish those involved in piracy for political or personal gain but also treat them as a major threat to international peace and security.

“This was a turning point in the events, we in Qatar, did not expect it, but we were able to deal with it and overcome the obstacles created by these sudden actions to ensure the continuity of normal daily life,” he said.

2:00am – US Defense chief Mattis makes surprise Qatar visit

James Mattis, US defense secretary, has made an unannounced visit to Qatar.
He held talks with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah at Al-Udeid air base, home to around 10,000 US troops, on Thursday.

1:00am – Qatar’s stock market most positive in region: polls

Sentiment towards Qatar’s stock market, which fell after four neighbouring Arab states cut diplomatic and transport ties with Doha on June 5, has improved considerably, the latest Reuters polls show.
Thirty-one percent of Middle East funds now expect to raise allocations to Qatari equities and eight percent to decrease them, making Qatar the most positive market in the region.
“The Qatari market experienced a remarkable 11 consecutive days in the red during September. With valuations reaching distressed levels, this was followed by six days of gains as local and regional buyers rushed to take advantage,” said Akber Khan, head of asset management at Al Rayan Investment in Doha.

28 September 2017

10:35pm – Qatari and Omani firms sign deal for maritime transportation of goods

Qatari company Trans Oceans has signed an agreement with Omani maritime transport firm Naseera to facilitate the movement of ferries transporting goods, equipment, cars and tourists between the two countries.
The deal was struck on the sidelines of the Oman Products Exhibition, Qatar News Agency reported.
Qatar and Oman are two of the six countries that comprise the Gulf Cooperation Council. Fellow GCC members Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, along with Egypt, cut ties with Qatar on June 5 and imposed a land, air and sea blockade on it.
Kuwait, also a GCC member, is leading mediation efforts to resolve the crisis.

3:15pm – QP CEO says Qatar has not cut off gas to UAE

Qatar Petroleum President Saad Sherida Al Kaabi said that Qatar would honour its commitment to supply oil and gas to the United Arab Emirates.
The State of Qatar has dealt with the gas pipeline to the UAE in a civilised and humanitarian manner, he said.
Al Kaabi also said that Qatar will maintain its position as the world’s largest producer of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and that there is an “expansion of our investments inside and outside Qatar.”

3:00pm – Al Jazeera launches new content on Instagram

New Instagram content aims to provide dedicated, creative, and captivating information to Arab youth.
Yaser Bishr, Al Jazeera’s executive director of digital, said, “This comes as part of Al Jazeera’s digital transformation strategy to reach users on all available platforms.”
This comes after Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain banned the Al Jazeera “Discover” service on Snapchat.

9:00am – Qatar, China sign security agreement

Qatar and the People’s Republic of China have signed an agreement to enhance security cooperation and coordination between the two countries.
The agreement focuses on the fight against “terrorism” and combating “extremism” in all its forms.

8:30am – Qatar imports rebound in August

According to the planning and statistics ministry, imports jumped 39.1 percent to $2.38bn.
Imports were 7.8 percent below their levels from a year earlier, but that still marked a major recovery from the levels in June and July.
Imports were down after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic and transport ties with Doha on June 5.
Qatari companies and foreign shippers have sought to establish new shipping routes to Qatar via other countries including Oman, compensating for the loss of Dubai as a trans-shipment centre.

27 September 2017

11:00pm – Qatari bank ‘looking to sell’ stake at UAE bank

Qatar’s third-largest lender, Commercial Bank, is in talks to sell its 40 percent stake in Abu Dhabi-listed United Arab Bank to the UAE’s Tabarak Investment, sources told Reuters news agency.

9:00pm – Qatari human rights chief meets US officials

Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Chairman Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri underlined the urgent need to put an end to the blockade during his meeting with US officials.
During Marri’s meeting with the two US representatives, Republican Congressmen Trent Franks and Gus Bilirakis, he urged them to condemn the blockade against Qatar and to take the appropriate measures to help lift it.

26 September 2017

4:00pm – Gulf diplomatic hurdles trip up Qatar’s racing camels

Among the victims of the GCC crisis are 200 Qatari-owned racing camels.

The camels had to be shipped back from the United Arab Emirates via Oman after they were banned from competing. Saudi Arabia also expelled hundreds of Qatari-owned camels from their country. Many did not make it back onto Qatari soil.

25 September 2017

2:00pm – Qatari FM says GCC pushing Qatar towards closer Iran relationship

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the blockade is pushing Qatar into closer economic ties with Iran, before questioning the wisdom of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s strategy.
“They said Qatar was now closer to Iran. By their measures they are pushing Qatar to Iran. They are giving Iran, or any regional force, Qatar like a gift,” he told the French Institute of International Relations on Monday.
The FM added that Qatar still has political differences with Iran, including over Syria.

25 September 2017

09:30am – Qatari FM discusses Gulf crisis in Paris

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani will speak at the French Institute of International Relations on ‘The Gulf Crisis: the View from Doha’, at 12:30pm (Doha time).

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged the lifting of a Saudi-led embargo on Qatar in effect since June.

Macron called for “the embargo measures affecting the people of Qatar, in particular families and students, to be lifted as quickly as possible”, on September 15.

24 September 2017

8:00pm – Thousands welcome Qatari emir on return home

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani returned to the Qatari capital on Sunday after concluding his first foreign trip since the blockade against his country was announced on June 5.

Thousands of people lined up the main boulevard in Doha and waved the national colours, as they greeted the country’s leader.

On Tuesday, Sheikh Tamim spoke at the UN General Assembly in New York and accused countries that imposed the “unjust blockade” of seeking to destabilise the gas and oil-rich Gulf state.

6:00am – Qataris plan solidarity event for Emir

Residents will welcome the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani back to Qatar on Sunday evening with an event planned to express solidarity on the Doha’s Corniche.

Sheikh Tamim travelled a few weeks ago to meet with world leaders in Turkey, Germany, France and the United States. It was his first trip since the Gulf dispute began in June.

Officials and residents announced on Twitter that they will host a warm welcome for him at the Doha airport, followed by an event along the Corniche.

23 September 2017

7:00pm – Saudi FM: ‘Qatar jeopardising policy of combating terrorism’

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir has reiterated the position of the four blockading Arab nations, demanding that Qatar follow the principles of international law in combating “terrorism”.
Speaking at the United Nations 72^nd General Assembly in New York on Saturday, al-Jubeir said: “The crisis in Qatar is jeopardising our policy of combating terrorism and extremism and the cutting off funding of such terrorism.”
The Saudi diplomat added: “Saudi Arabia will continue to counter extremism and terrorism.”

6:00am – UAE says Iran main obstacle to Arab peace

The foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates has said Iran’s “hostile and expansionist policy” is the major obstacle to solving all crises in the Arab world.
At the UN General Assembly annual ministerial meeting, Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan accused Iran of interfering in internal affairs of other countries and supporting “terrorist groups”.
He said Iran must realise that the best basis “for a harmonious relationship with the states in the Arab Gulf” is to respect the sovereignty of countries in the region.

1:00am – Qatar’s NHRC calls for international mission to examine human rights violations

The head of Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) has issued a new call for international observers to urgently visit Qatar and its neighbours blockading it to assess the humanitarian impact caused by the moves of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, Qatar’s News Agency (QNA) reported.
Ali bin Sumaikh al-Marri’s call came during a meeting with Craig Mokhiber, head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in New York and deputy secretary-general for Human Rights of the UN.
Marri urged the international technical mission to hold direct meetings with nationals and residents of Qatar, as well as citizens of the three blockading countries, to listen to their complaints and document the psychological, material and moral damage they suffered, QNA said.

22 September 2017

5:00am – Somalia rebukes its states for breaking with Qatar

Somalia’s government has rebuked its three semi-autonomous regions for cutting ties with Qatar, saying it was determined to stay neutral in the Gulf nation’s dispute with other Arab states.

“The cabinet reaffirms the federal government’s decision in June … that Somalia is neutral about the conflict of Gulf countries,” read a statement issued by the office of Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire.

“[The Arab states] are trying to give more energy and emphasise more their relations with these regional governments, trying to pressure them to go against the federal government,” said Nairobi-based Somalia expert Ahmed Roble.

21 September 2017

23:15 – Qatari FM discusses Gulf crisis with Italian, Ukrainian, Australian counterparts and EU foreign affairs chief in New York

Qatar’s foreign minister met with several dignitaries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss, among others, the blockade imposed on Qatar by a group of Arab countries.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held talks with Federica Mogherini, the European Union foreign affairs chief, as well as his Italian, Ukrainian and Australian counterparts, Angelino Alfano, Pavlo Klimkin and Julie Bishop respectively.
During the meetings, the Qatari foreign minister discussed the humanitarian impact of the blockade and stressed the importance of dialogue to solve the crisis.

9:00am – Qatar and Saudi Arabia to compete at show jumping competition

At Ashghabat 2017 in Turkmenistan, riders from Qatar and Saudi Arabia will compete while their countries are locked in a bitter political dispute.

The Gulf diplomatic crisis spilled over onto sports when it led to the cancellation of this year’s Gulf Cup of Nations in football. However, there is hope that the games in this horse-loving nation can promote cooperation and understanding.

20 September 2017

10:40 – Qatari emir discusses Gulf crisis with Russian FM at the UN

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met on Wednesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City.
The two discussed the Gulf dispute among other topics.
A similar meeting took place at the UN between Sheikh Tamim and UN’s human rights chief, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

10:35 – Qatargas to sell 1.5 million tonnes of LNG a year to Turkey’s Botas

State-run Qatargas, the world’s largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), said on Wednesday it had signed a medium-term sales and purchase agreement with Turkey’s Botas to deliver 1.5m tonnes of LNG each year for three years.

“Qatargas said it would supply the LNG from Qatargas 2 to either the Egegaz LNG Terminal, the Marmara LNG Terminal or the Etki LNG terminal in Turkey.
“We are very pleased to announce this new agreement with Botas which will further strengthen our relationship with our friends in Turkey,” said Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, president and CEO of Qatar Petroleum and chairman of board of directors of Qatargas.

19 September 2017

11:41 – Trump expects Gulf dispute to be quickly resolved

US President Donald Trump has said on Tuesday he thought the dispute between Qatar and some of its Arab neighbors would be resolved quickly.

“We are right now in a situation where we’re trying to solve a problem in the Middle East. And I think we’ll get it solved, I have a very strong feeling that it will be solved pretty quickly,” Trump said in New York as he met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani

11:10pm – Qatari emir condemns ‘unjust blockade’ at UNGA speech

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has said that a group of Arab countries imposing an “unjust blockade” on Qatar are seeking to destabilise a sovereign state.

“I stand before you while my country and my people are subjected to an ongoing and unjust blockade imposed since June 5 by neighbouring countries,” Sheikh Tamim said, addressing the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

He asked if this what not a definition of “terrorism”, saying that the moves by the blockading countries were an assault against a sovereign state and a violation against human rights.

18 September 2017

9:30am – Snapchat blocks Al Jazeera in Saudi Arabia

Snapchat has blocked access to Al Jazeera news articles and videos in Saudi Arabia following a request from the government, a spokesperson for Snap Inc has said.

Saudi Arabia’s government told the social media company that the Al Jazeera Discover Publisher Channel violated local laws.

“We make an effort to comply with local laws in the countries where we operate,” a Snapchat spokesperson said in a statement.

Morad Rayyan, head of Incubation and Innovation Research at Al Jazeera, said the move was “unprecedented”.

“Snapchat is a US-based company, publicly traded, and it stands for freedom of expression. We are working on contingency plans to ensure our content is available on other platforms,” Rayyan said.

6:00am – Qatar proposes a compensation committee

Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) proposed the establishment of a compensation committee, within the framework of the UN General Assembly, for victims of the unilateral actions taken against Qatar.
The proposal was made during the NHRC’s comments in a report presented to the Human Rights Council by Idriss Jazairy, Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures.
The NHRC said that the current situation met all the conditions for the creation of specialised compensation committees, as outlined in the report, adding that this committee must be established under strict guidelines and must have wide authority to make decisions.

17 September 2017

6:30PM – UK to supply Qatar with 24 Typhoon fighter jets

Qatar’s Defence Minister Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah and the United Kingdom’s Defence Secretary Michael Fallon signed a letter of intent on Sunday in Doha to purchase 24 Typhoon aircraft.
“This will be the first major defence contract with Qatar, one of the UK’s strategic partners. This is an important moment in our defence relationship and the basis for even closer defence cooperation between our two countries,” said Fallon.
“We also hope that this will help enhance security within the region across all Gulf allies.”

5:45pm – Qatar’s FM calls on world leaders to do more against terrorism

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said the world leaders are not doing enough to combat terrorism.
Speaking at the US-Islamic World Forum in New York City, he said: “Terrorism is a scary phenomenon… violence and hatred have helped a lot in the eruption and creation of the terrorist organisations. The international community and the world in general has not done enough against terrorism.”

12:00pm – Qatari stocks continues to slide

Qatar’s stock market headed for its tenth straight losing session on Sunday while Saudi Arabia’s index bucked an otherwise weak region because of gains in the petrochemical sector.
On Friday, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani said Qatar was ready to sit at the negotiating table to try to end a dispute with its Gulf Arab neighbours. But in the absence of a positive response from the Saudi-led coalition boycotting Qatar, investors did not take the remarks as a sign that the dispute was moving closer to resolution.
Qatar’s index slipped 0.5 percent with Doha Bank dropping 2.6 percent.
In Saudi Arabia, all but one of the 14 listed petrochemical shares rose after Brent crude closed near a five-month peak on Friday.

11:20am – Qatar’s foreign minister to keynote US-Islamic World forum

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani will deliver a keynote address at the US-Islamic World Forum in New York on Sunday.
The annual forum, now in its 13th year, is organised by the Brookings Institution in conjunction with the state of Qatar. This year’s theme is “Crisis and Cooperation” and discussion topics include ending conflicts in the Middle East and the future of pluralism in the Arab world.

16 September 2017

Condemnation after Al Arabiya depicts Saudi jet shooting down Qatar Airways plane

Reaction was swift to the broadcasting by Al Arabiya TV of a graphic simulation showing a Saudi fighter jet shooting a missile at a Qatar Airways passenger aircraft.

Vipin Narang, associate professor of political science at MIT, tweeted: “This is some outrageous stuff from Al Arabiya, threatening to shoot down a Qatar Airways passenger jet if in Saudi.”

Aviation analyst Alex Macheras said on Twitter, “It’s shocking that a news channel would think it’s acceptable to create and illustrate a passenger airline aircraft being blown out of the sky.”

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

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