DOCSLIB.ORG

American Enterprise Institute

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
American Enterprise Institute AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE CHANGING DYNAMICS IN THE GULF: A CONVERSATION WITH QATARI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL THANI INTRODUCTORY REMARKS: DANIELLE PLETKA, AEI MODERATED DISCUSSION: ANDREW BOWEN, AEI HE MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL THANI, STATE OF QATAR 9:00–10:00 AM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2018 EVENT PAGE: http://www.aei.org/events/changing-dynamics-in-the-gulf-a- conversation-with-qatari-deputy-prime-minister-and-foreign-minister-mohammed- bin-abdulrahman-al-thani/ TRANSCRIPT PROVIDED BY DC TRANSCRIPTION — WWW.DCTMR.COM DANIELLE PLETKA: Good morning, everybody. Welcome to the American Enterprise Institute. Sorry for the brief delay, but I think you’ll find that this is a conversation that you’re going to find extraordinarily interesting. We are delighted to welcome today His Excellency Sheik Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, who was appointed minister of foreign affairs for Qatar in 2016 and the deputy prime minister in 2017. He is responsible for all of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues, including planning, implementing foreign policy, and he’s here for a series of high-level conversations with the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the White House that we are looking forward to hearing all of the details of. What’s going to happen today? The minister will join us at the podium for a brief statement, and then he’s going to sit down on the stage with our visiting fellow — excuse me — I’m getting your title wrong, the easier one — with our visiting scholar Andrew Bowen for a conversation, which we’ll then open up to some questions from the audience. There’s a lot to talk about here today. Qatar has been at the center of I think what we will all agree is an ugly disagreement among GCC countries and others, one that has really divided traditional US allies and has sowed some divisions I think even within the US government. So we are really very interested to hear your perspective, Mr. Minister. Why don’t you — careful on the step — and if you would just join us on the stage. MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHAM BIN JASSIM AL THANI: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you, Dani, for hosting me here, and thank you for inviting me today. I hope that today I’ll have the opportunity to shed the light on some of the issues in the Middle East and the turmoil which is taking place in our region, which is not affecting only the interest of the region and the state of Qatar, but affecting also the US interests. And I hope that I can propose some ideas for a way forward. So the US and Qatar have been allies for 45 years. We have dozens of agreements that memorialize our commitment to each other. This week, our country met for an historic strategic dialogue and signed five additional agreements, including defending the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure for energy; strengthening trade, investment, and technology; developing international law enforcement to stop human trafficking; and continued joined defense commitments. The Qatari delegation could not have been welcomed with wider arms. The US and Qatar have a unique partnership. When the US was searching for a home for its troops in the Middle East, Qatar welcomed them. Today, Qatar hosts the largest US military foreign air base in the world. In Qatar, 11,000 US troops, thousands of US teachers and students, and hundreds of US-owned companies are living and working in Qatar. Qatar and the US are strategically located. We are surrounded by powerful players in the Middle East. Some of these nations are bent on intimidation, aggression, and dangerous flirtation with war. Make no mistake, these powers are feuding for domination, taking as prisoners not just the neighbors — (inaudible). The suffering inflicted by these power- hungry forces is not limited to the starvation and devastation in places like Yemen, Syria, and Somalia. The well-being of citizens within these dominating regimes is also being sacrificed in the power grab. The illegal blockade started last year against Qatar is one of many instruments of sabotage intended to bully my country into submission. The world is discovering that the blockading states will stop at nothing: illegal market manipulation, different kind of aggressions, humanitarian assaults, silencing dissenters, weaponizing propaganda, and undermining the global fight against terrorism. These intimidation methods threaten the success of all the agreements and investments between Qatar and the United States. There is a silver lining of this blockade. Qatar has been able to show the resilience and survive under siege. Other countries in the Middle East might not be able to withstand the trial of an attack as we have seen in example after example across the region. Qatar joins the US passion for restoring regional security to the Middle East. The regional and short-term danger of aggression is happening before our eyes along a spectrum of devastation. The worldwide and long-term danger of aggression will eventually reach countries around the globe because these rulers will stop at nothing — intentional international destabilization of the energy and financial markets and, worse, by laying the groundwork for the next generation of terrorism. Terrorism flourishes in oppressive, closed regimes where the needs and rights of the citizens are not met. While many reckless leaders surrounding us double down on hidden and oppressive means of governance, Qatar and many other nations in the Middle East hope to keep developing into nations that can provide justice and security to its citizens. As I told Secretary Tillerson and Mattis, Qatar sees the US as a critical part of that vision. Ending the turmoil in the Middle East will take further leadership. Joint cooperation from all countries in the Middle East is necessary to restoring lasting security to the region. Qatar and the US have been fighting terrorism together for many years. We agree that terrorism must not be — must not only be destroyed through military efforts, but also by lifting up oppressed with vision of openness and hope — through lasting social transformations. We have warned repeatedly that imposing repression of reform and development using the law of power instead of the power flow is detrimental to the global counterterrorism efforts. The US, Qatar, and the other 72 members of the coalition against ISIS have spent years crushing this evil. We don’t want to find ourselves in the same situation again and again. We need to work together to completely end terrorism financing, recruitment, propaganda, and extremist ideologies. Wise leadership means put aside personal feelings to help the good of the people. It is Qatar’s hope that GCC can be rebuilt. The citizens of Qatar are forgiving and resilient people. We wish for unity. We can’t ignore the historic bond between the countries of the GCC and the shared family, cultural, and financial ties that can actually make us stronger. Qatar hopes for a restored GCC, which is more transparent and based on shared interests like trade and security. This restored GCC would need to have a clear process for raising and resolving differences, would need to be void of forced compliance regarding foreign policy and decision concerning domestic affairs, would need to be governed by reason over impulse, and would need to serve the best interests of all its members. Regarding the greater Middle East region, we cannot rebuild these devastated areas unless more diplomatic pressure is put on power-hungry players and the holistic security plan is established across the region. This security plan must find common ground, include an arbitration mechanism that gives the small and large nations equal protection and provide binding consequences for those who create a crisis and threaten security. I hope the international community will join me in calling for an immediate regional strategic dialogue to agree upon common principles of coexistence, which can serve as a foundation to healing and ultimately prosperity for the region. Thank you. (Applause.) ANDREW BOWEN: Thank you again for being here at AEI. I wanted to kind of touch on a point that you stressed about kind of the future of the GCC. We look at — like, you were in Kuwait this past December, and I believe this was the first time yourself and his highness were with your GCC counterparts in many months. And the meeting ended quite abruptly. Has there been — and certainly since your visit here, has there been any indications of you seeing any optimism on the road to a potential kind of resolution or dialogue, whether that be convened by President Trump or more specifically convened by Kuwait? Or are we still at an impasse? HIS EXCELLENCY: Qatar remains calling for the dialogue and supporting the initiative of the emir of Kuwait when he offered to mediate between the Gulf countries and also accepted the invitation which was issued by the president to call all the GCC members to Camp David in order to see a solution for this. But when you have a conflict between parties and one of the parties is unwilling to engage in a dialogue or unwilling to engage toward a solution, then this dialogue, even if would resolve anything, it won’t resolve positive results because of the bad intention behind the willingness. The GCC summit was an opportunity, which we believed in Qatar that at least for the first time, the leaders will see each other face to face. And we were surprised at the last moment that they have canceled their attendance and downgraded their representation to the GCC meeting. So for us, we have done everything in our hands, showing the goodwill toward the solution, but it needs a response for the other side, which is not there yet.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Discourse of a Conflict: Critical Discourse Analysis of the Ideological Representation of the Other in Online News
    Thomas More Kempen FACULTEIT LETTEREN SINT-ANDRIESSTRAAT 2 2000 ANTWERPEN BELGIE Masterproef aangeboden tot het verkrijgen van het diploma Master of Arts in het vertalen The Discourse of a Conflict: Critical Discourse Analysis of the Ideological Representation of the Other in Online News Aljazeera and Alarabiya on the 2017-18 GCC Crisis: a case study Door: Ruben Van Nimmen Promotor: Houssine Id-Youss ACADEMIEJAAR 2017-2018 Preface First of all, I wish to explain a number of references that have been made in the Literature Review. As the present research discusses a current development in the Gulf region, i.e. the 2017-18 GCC Crisis, references have been made to a number of news reports. However, as this study intends to investigate the role of ideology in the news reports by Aljazeera and Alarabiya, I decided to limit references to news reports by those two, yet selected the following networks: BBC, Le Monde, The Washington Post, CNN, The New York Times. References to these networks have been made in the Literature Review and to verify the factual information offered by the corpus, as will become clear in the Results chapter. In addition, I consulted reports by independent organization such as Freedom House and the Committee to Protect Journalists. References to Aljazeera or Alarabiya in the Literature Review have been made only to discuss superficial and rather factual information. Moreover, when referring to the blockading quartet in the 2017-18 GCC Crisis, I only used Saudi Arabia at times, for Saudi Arabia is regarded as one of the leading countries in the conflict and in the region.
    [Show full text]
  • QATAR V. BAHRAIN) REPLY of the STATE of QATAR ______TABLE of CONTENTS PART I - INTRODUCTION CHAPTER I - GENERAL 1 Section 1
    CASE CONCERNING MARITIME DELIMITATION AND TERRITORIAL QUESTIONS BETWEEN QATAR AND BAHRAIN (QATAR V. BAHRAIN) REPLY OF THE STATE OF QATAR _____________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I - INTRODUCTION CHAPTER I - GENERAL 1 Section 1. Qatar's Case and Structure of Qatar's Reply Section 2. Deficiencies in Bahrain's Written Pleadings Section 3. Bahrain's Continuing Violations of the Status Quo PART II - THE GEOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND CHAPTER II - THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF QATAR Section 1. The Overall Geographical Context Section 2. The Emergence of the Al-Thani as a Political Force in Qatar Section 3. Relations between the Al-Thani and Nasir bin Mubarak Section 4. The 1913 and 1914 Conventions Section 5. The 1916 Treaty Section 6. Al-Thani Authority throughout the Peninsula of Qatar was consolidated long before the 1930s Section 7. The Map Evidence CHAPTER III - THE EXTENT OF THE TERRITORY OF BAHRAIN Section 1. Bahrain from 1783 to 1868 Section 2. Bahrain after 1868 PART III - THE HAWAR ISLANDS AND OTHER TERRITORIAL QUESTIONS CHAPTER IV - THE HAWAR ISLANDS Section 1. Introduction: The Territorial Integrity of Qatar and Qatar's Sovereignty over the Hawar Islands Section 2. Proximity and Qatar's Title to the Hawar Islands Section 3. The Extensive Map Evidence supporting Qatar's Sovereignty over the Hawar Islands Section 4. The Lack of Evidence for Bahrain's Claim to have exercised Sovereignty over the Hawar Islands from the 18th Century to the Present Day Section 5. The Bahrain and Qatar Oil Concession Negotiations between 1925 and 1939 and the Events Leading to the Reversal of British Recognition of Hawar as part of Qatar Section 6.
    [Show full text]
  • Language Ideologies, Schooling and Islam in Qatar
    Language in the Mirror: Language Ideologies, Schooling and Islam in Qatar Rehenuma Asmi Submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy under the executive committee of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2013 © 2013 Rehenuma Asmi All rights reserved ABSTRACT Language in the Mirror: Language Ideologies, Schooling and Islam Rehenuma Asmi My study explores language ideologies in the capital city of Doha, Qatar, where school reform movements are placing greater emphasis on English language acquisition. Through ethnography and a revised theory of language ideologies, I argue that as languages come in greater contact in multi-lingual spaces, mediation must occur between the new and old relationships that are emerging as a result of population growth, policy changes and cross-cultural interactions. I interrogate the development concept of the “knowledge economy” as it is used to justify old and new language ideologies regarding Arabic and English. As Qataris change their education systems in response to the economic development framework of the “knowledge economy,” they are promoting language ideologies that designate English as useful for the economy and “global” citizenship and Qatari Arabic and Standard Arabic as useful for religious and cultural reasons. I argue that Standard English, through its association with the “knowledge economy,” becomes “de-localized” and branded an “international” language. This ideology presents English as a modern language free of the society in which it is embedded, to circulate around the globe. In contrast, Standard Arabic is represented as stiff, archaic language of religious traditions and Qatari Arabic is presented as the language of oral culture and ethnonationalism.
    [Show full text]
  • Qatar Wins Legal Battle Over Air Blockade
    www.thepeninsula.qa Wednesday 15 July 2020 Volume 25 | Number 8319 24 Dhul-Qa'da - 1441 2 Riyals BUSINESS | 14 PENMAG | 15 SPORT | 20 Profits hit as US Classifieds AFC shortlists banks set aside and Services Qatar coach billions for section Sanchez for top bad loans included award Do it online now. Get a new SIM from the Online safety of your home! Qatar wins legal battle over air blockade THE PENINSULA & AGENCIES Qatar emerged victorious at top UN court as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled In the dispute under the Chicago yesterday that the country has the right to challenge airspace Convention, the ICJ ruled that: restrictions imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt before the UN’s aviation body With respect to the blockading states’ first ground of appeal, which — the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). alleged that the ICAO Council “failed to uphold fundamental principles Since June 2017, the block- of due process,” the ICJ unanimously found that “the procedures ading countries (Saudi Arabia, followed by the Council did not prejudice in any fundamental way the the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt) have pro- requirements of a just procedure.” hibited Qatar-registered aircraft from flying to or from their air- The ICJ also rejected the blockading states’ second ground of appeal, ports and overflying their We welcome the decision by the ICJ that which claimed that the “real issue” in dispute was not their violations national airspaces, in flagrant will see the blockading countries finally of the Chicago Convention and IASTA, but their blatantly false violation of international law.
    [Show full text]
  • News Release Recovery in Qatari Non-Energy Economy Continues In
    . News Release Purchasing Managers’ IndexTM MARKET SENSITIVE INFORMATION Embargoed until: 12:00 Doha (09:00 UTC) 5 October 2020 Recovery in Qatari non-energy economy continues in September Qatar Financial Centre PMITM • September 2020 PMI rounds off strongest quarter since survey began in April 2017 • Expansion of new work among the fastest in survey history • Purchasing activity of non-energy firms rise in tandem with workloads Data were collected 11-25 September 2020 Doha, Qatar: 5 October 2020 – The non-energy private sector economy of Qatar continued to expand in September as coronavirus-related restrictions were lifted further, according to the latest Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI™) survey data. Output and new business continued to register growth as firms reported operations returning to normality following the lockdown, and the reopening of industrial areas. The Qatar PMI indices are compiled from survey responses from a panel of around 400 private sector companies. The panel covers the manufacturing, construction, wholesale, retail, and services sectors, and reflects the structure of the non-energy economy according to official national accounts data. The topline PMI registered 51.4 in September, down from 57.3 in August. The latest figure signalled sustained improvement in business conditions in the non-energy private sector segment of the economy and was the third-highest figure in over two years. Since the survey began in April 2017, the PMI has trended at 49.5. By contrast, over the third quarter of 2020 the PMI averaged a more elevated 56.2. This was by far the highest quarterly average to date, compared with the next-highest figure of 53.5 set in Q4 2017.
    [Show full text]
  • 2007 Annual Report
    Qatar Petroleum, Committed to Excellence Qatar Petroleum (QP), formerly Qatar General Petroleum Corporation, is a state-owned corporation established, by Emiri Decree No 10, in 1974 responsible for all phases of the oil and gas industry in Qatar. The principal activities of Qatar Petroleum and its subsidiaries and joint ventures cover exploration, drilling and production operations, transport, storage, marketing and sale of crude oil, natural gas liquids, liqueed natural gas, rened products, petrochemicals and fertilizers, and providing helicopter services. Qatar Petroleum’s strategy of conducting hydrocarbon exploration and new projects is through Exploration and Production Sharing Agreements (EPSA) and Development and Production Sharing Agreements (DPSA) concluded with major international oil and gas companies. The operations and activities of Qatar Petroleum are conducted on various onshore locations, which include Doha, Dukhan, Mesaieed and Ras Laan Industrial Cities, as well as oshore areas including Halul Island, Oshore Production Stations, Drilling Platforms and the North Gas Field. In addition to its operations, QP carries out its activities through the following subsidiaries, joint ventures and other investments. A – Subsidiaries QP Interest Percentage % C- Other Investments % Qatar Petroleum Qatar Gas (3) Ltd. 100.0 Qatar Fuel Co. (WOQOD) 40.0 Gulf Helicopters Co. (Gulf Helicopters) 100.0 Qatar Shipping Co. (Q-SHIP) 18.5 Al Koot Insurance and Reinsurance Co. 100.0 Qatar Metal Coating Co.W.L.L 35.0 Qatar Petroleum Gas Trading (QGII) Ltd. 100.0 Qatar Real Estate Investment Co. 0.7 Qatar Petroleum LNG Services (QGII) Ltd. 100.0 Qatar Plastic Production Co. (QPPC) 26.6 Qatar Terminal Co. Ltd.
    [Show full text]
  • Qatar to Achieve Budgetary Surplus in 2019
    BUSINESS | 01 SPORT | 12 Al Khalifa: Bale snaps Qatar key to goal drought QNB despite as Real edge global expansion past Huesca Monday 10 December 2018 | 3 Rabia II 1440 www.thepeninsula.qa Volume 23 | Number 7736 | 2 Riyals Amir to patronise Doha Historical Dictionary of Arabic launch QNA DOHA Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will patronise this morning the inauguration ceremony of the Doha Historical Dictionary of Arabic. The ceremony will be organised by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. The Doha Historical Dic- tionary of Arabic, on which work commenced in May 2013, is the first dictionary that oversees the compilation of a historical lexicon of the Arabic language. Prime Minister attends Qatar Radio's Golden Jubilee celebrations The project has been under the guidance and support of H Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, attended yesterday the ceremony held yb Qatar Radio to mark its 50th anniversary H the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin of founding (Golden Jubilee) at the Westin Hotel. The ceremony was attended by Speaker of the Shura Council, H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, a number Hamad Al Thani since His of Their Excellencies Sheikhs and Ministers, a number of senior officials of the Qatar Media Corporation and employees of radio and television channels affiliated to the Highness was the Heir corporation along with a number of the diplomatic corps accredited to the State. The Chairman of Qatar Media Corporation, H E Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, said: Apparent within his vision of “Since its establishment, the radio has contributed to enriching awareness and culture in the society and it has witnessed important stages in the country’s history.” `P2 preserving the Arabic language and the identity of the nation.
    [Show full text]
  • Rowda Al-Hamadi OGS Approved Thesis.Pdf
    QATAR UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES THE CHANGING REGIONAL ORDER: THE CASE OF GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL AND THE BLOCKADE OF QATAR IN 2017 BY ROWDA SULAIMAN A M AL-HAMADI A Thesis Submitted to the College of Arts and Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Arts in Gulf Studies June 2021 © 2021 Rowda Al-Hamadi. All Rights Reserved. COMMITTEE PAGE The members of the Committee approve the Thesis of Rowda Al-Hamadi defended on 11/04/2021. Mahjoob Zweiri Thesis/Dissertation Supervisor Luciano Zaccara Committee Member Ioannis Konstantinidis Committee Chair Approved: Ibrahim AlKaabi, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences ii ABSTRACT AL-HAMADI, ROWDA, SULAIMAN., Masters : June : 2021:, Gulf Studies Title:The Changing Regional Order: The Case of Gulf Cooperation Council and the Blockade of Qatar in 2017 Supervisor of Thesis: Mahjoob Zweiri. “The Changing Regional Order: The Case of Gulf Cooperation Council and the Blockade of Qatar in 2017” illustrates the facts and potential causes of the diplomatic breakdown of the GCC states that was intensified with the blockade of Qatar in 2017. The unjustified and abrupt embargo imposed by the blockading countries has adversely impacted the unique political and economic framework of the entirety of the GCC states for the last three years. The GCC alliance had been long appreciated for its geographical proximity, cultural and historical uniqueness and as a model for a progressive society. However, the movement or the threat that emerged against Qatar has exposed the vulnerability of the GCC alliance. The imminent threat led Qatar to the formation of alliances with other powers in order to strengthen its economy and military, and thereby to mitigate the consequences of the embargo.
    [Show full text]
  • Domestic Politics and Regional Dynamics in Turkey’S Geopolitical Approach to the Middle East Between 2002-2019 16 by Billy Agwanda
    the rest: journal of politics and development Previously published as Journal of Global analysis (JGA) Editors-in-Chief: Ozgur TUFEKCI, Assoc. Prof. | CESRAN International, UK Rahman DAG, Assoc. Prof. | CESRAN International, UK Associate Editors: Alper Tolga BULUT, Assist. Prof. | CESRAN International, UK Alessia CHIRIATTI, Dr | CESRAN International, UK Assistant Editors: Ceren Hakyemez | CESRAN International, UK Ekrem Ok | CESRAN International, UK Editorial Board Sener AKTURK, Assoc. Prof. | Koç University, Turkey David HELD, Prof. | London Sch. of Economics, LSE, UK Enrique ALBEROLA, Prof. | Banco de España, Spain Tony HERON, Prof. | University of York, UK Mustafa AYDIN, Prof. | Kadir Has University, Turkey Raymond HINNEBUSCH, Prof. | Uni. of St Andrews, UK Ian BACHE, Prof. | University of Sheffield, UK John M. HOBSON, Prof. | University of Sheffield, UK Kee-Hong BAE, Prof. | York University, Canada Michael KENNY, Prof. | University of Sheffield, UK Mark BASSIN, Prof. | Sodertorn University, Sweden Cécile LABORDE, Prof. | University College London, UK Alexander BELLAMY, Prof. | Uni. of Queensland, Australia Scott LUCAS, Prof. | University of Birmingham, UK Richard BELLAMY, Prof. | Uni. College London, UK Kalypso NICOLAIDIS, Prof. | University of Oxford, UK Andreas BIELER, Prof. | University of Nottingham, UK Ziya ONIS, Prof. | Koc University, Turkey Pınar BILGIN, Prof. | Bilkent University, Turkey Alp OZERDEM, Prof. | George Mason University, USA Ken BOOTH, Prof. | Aberystwyth University, UK Danny QUAH, Prof. | London School of Economics, UK Stephen CHAN, Prof. | SOAS, University of London, UK José Gabriel PALMA, Prof. | Cambridge University, UK Nazli CHOUCRI, Prof. | MIT, USA Jenik RADON, Prof. | Columbia University, USA Judith CLIFTON, Prof. | Universidad de Cantabria, Spain Oliver RICHMOND, Prof. | University of Manchester, UK John M. DUNN, Prof.
    [Show full text]
  • IV. TRADE POLICIES by SECTOR (1) 1. the Contribution to Qatar's
    WT/TPR/S/144 Trade Policy Review Page 38 IV. TRADE POLICIES BY SECTOR (1) OVERVIEW 1. The contribution to Qatar's economy of mining and quarrying, basically petroleum and natural gas, and of gas-intensive industries (e.g. petrochemicals and fertilizers), has increased over the years, while the shares of agriculture and services has fallen. In accordance with Qatar's long-term development strategy, this trend will be strengthened as Qatar aims to, inter alia, become a dominant force in world gas markets through its role as the leading producer and exporter of both liquefied natural gas (LNG) and gas-to-liquids (GTL). Nevertheless, some services subsectors, notably tourism, are being promoted to reduce the country's dependence on crude oil. 2. Despite its very small and decreasing share of total GDP (0.3% in 2003), agriculture is an important sector in the economy because of Qatar's food security objective. Qatar is a net importer of agricultural products, and food security is promoted mainly through relatively low customs tariffs. The simple average applied MFN tariff on agricultural products (major division 1 of ISIC, Revision 2) is 3.3%. The Government assists agricultural producers by offering basic infrastructure (e.g. drainage and irrigation facilities), and free provision of inputs, such as pesticides, natural fertilizers, veterinary services, and vegetable seeds. 3. A major state-owned company, Qatar Petroleum (QP), is the exclusive agent for oil and natural gas activities, either directly or in cooperation with foreign enterprises through production- sharing or development and fiscal agreements. Qatar is pursuing an intensive exploration drive to enlarge its hydrocarbons reserve base, so as to expand the lifetime of its reserves, and broaden its production capacity.
    [Show full text]
  • Donald Trump’S Aim Is to Brand His Op- Around, It’S Often Necessary
    TOTAL PRIZES MORE THAN QAR 8 MILLION OPEN AL DANA ACCOUNT! THE BIGGEST MEGA PRIZE QAR 2.5 MILLION Offer valid from 5th of March 2020 to 31st January 2021 INDIVIDUAL PRIZE IN QATAR! 2 WINNERS QAR 1 MILLION EACH 457 LUCKY WINNERS QatarTribune Qatar_Tribune QatarTribuneChannel qatar_tribune MONDAY MARCH 16, 2020 RAJAB 21, 1441 VOL.13 NO. 4895 QR 2 Fajr: 4:27 am Dhuhr: 11:43 am Asr: 3:08 pm Maghrib: 5:44 pm Isha: 7:14 pm Business 8 Sports 11 Covid-19: No need to Pogba makes PARTLY CLOUDY HIGH : 30°C stock up on ration coronavirus LOW : 23°C goods: QC chairman fund-raising pledge Amir orders slew of measures to contain coronavirus spread All incoming flights to be All public transport, including QR75 bn economic stimulus QR10 billion package for stopped from March 18 Doha Metro, services stopped package for private sector stock exchange CATHERINE W GICHUKI DOHA AMIR PRESIDES OVER MEETING OF SUPREME COMMITTEE FOR CRISIS MANAGEMENT ON COVID-19 THE Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani has directed offi- cials to provide necessary services to citizens and residents and to provide safety and protection to them from the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to ensure that they can continue with their nor- mal life. The Amir presided over the meeting of the Supreme Commit- tee for Crisis Management at the National Command Centre (NCC) Today, we learned about on Sunday, which was held to dis- the work of the Supreme cuss ways to combat the new coro- Committee for Crisis navirus disease and to determine Management.
    [Show full text]
  • The State of Qatar
    The State of Qatar U.S.$2,000,000,000 3.375% Bonds due 2024 Issue Price: 99.890% U.S.$4,000,000,000 4.000% Bonds due 2029 Issue Price: 99.649% U.S.$6,000,000,000 4.817% Bonds due 2049 Issue Price: 100.000% The U.S.$2,000,000,000 3.375% Bonds due 2024 (the “2024 Bonds”), the U.S.$4,000,000,000 4.000% Bonds due 2029 (the “2029 Bonds”) and the U.S.$6,000,000,000 4.817% Bonds due 2049 (the “2049 Bonds” and, together with the 2024 Bonds and the 2029 Bonds, the “Bonds”) are being offered inside the United States to qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”). In addition, the Bonds are being offered outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act. The State of Qatar, acting through the Ministry of Finance (“Qatar” or the “State”), will pay interest on each 2024 Bond at the rate of 3.375% per annum from and including March 14, 2019 semi-annually in arrear on March 14 and September 14 in each year until (and including) March 14, 2024 (the “2024 Maturity Date”), commencing on September 14, 2019. The State will pay interest on each 2029 Bond at the rate of 4.000% per annum from and including March 14, 2019 semi-annually in arrear on March 14 and September 14 in each year until (and including) March 14, 2029 (the “2029 Maturity Date”), commencing on September 14, 2019.
    [Show full text]