ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Monday 14 October 2013 9 Dhul-Hijja 1434 - Volume 18 Number 5852 Price: QR2 Real estate Qatar crush loan book Yemen in Asian at QR80bn Cup qualifier Business | 21 Sport | 32 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Pilgrims in Arafat Emir to receive GCC to be hit if well-wishers DOHA: The Emiri Diwan yesterday announced that the Emir H H Sheikh US debt ceiling Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will receive well-wishers on the occasion of Eid Al Adha at Al Wajba Palace in the morning of the first day of Eid according to the following order: crisis worsens Immediately after the Eid prayer until 6:15am, the Emir will receive their excellencies the Sheikhs, Ministers, the Speaker of the Advisory Gulf exposure to US over $257bn (Shura) Council, Ministries’ under- secretaries, members of the Shura DOHA: The economic conse- When told about a recent Council and citizens. quences could be dire for the Washington Post report that put From 6:15am to 6:30am, the Emir GCC states if political leaders the GCC’s exposure to the US will receive Heads of diplomatic mis- in the US fail to agree on lifting at $257.7bn, Al Khater said that sions. From 6:30am to 6:45am, the their government’s debt ceiling was a very conservative esti- Emir will receive the Armed Forces by Thursday, economists here mate. “I expect the figure to be and Police officers as well as directors warn. much higher.” of departments and national insti- For one, the oil-rich GCC He said if one took into consid- tutions. The Emir will also receive states have massive investments eration the assets of the sovereign immediately after the Asr (afternoon) in the US, the currencies of most wealth funds of the GCC states as Piligrims gather on Mount Arafat, near the holy city of Makkah yesterday. Vast crowds of pilgrims, all prayer to 3:45pm their excellencies the of them are pegged to the dol- a whole, it would be in hundreds sheikhs and citizens. QNA dressed in white, flock to Mount Arafat early today to take part in the main rituals of Haj. See also page 13 lar, and more importantly, a debt of billions of dollars. crisis in the US would likely have And much of these assets a disastrous impact on the world should be based in the US and oil market. Europe. “So I don’t think the “A continuing debt ceiling crisis Washington Post figure reflects in the US would hit China hard, the actual exposure.” and this would have a cascading Talking about Qatar, Al Khater No licence renewal if malls fail safety test effect on the rising Asian econo- said the assets of its sovereign mies,” said celebrated financial wealth fund alone were estimated DOHA: Licences of commercial in an interview with a local people on how to use fire exits Thumama next year that will expert Abdullah Al Khater. to range between $100bn and facilities that fail to fulfil the Arabic daily. He said efforts by (during an emergency),” said Al serve the population in and Since the GCC states are $200bn. “Anyhow, as I said, the safety requirements will not be the department to improve safety Suwaidi. He said the response around that area. This was sup- dependent on revenues from oil crisis could lead to a depressed renewed, a senior official of the and security at malls, hotels and time of Civil Defence personnel posed to open this year, but the and gas, the impact on Asian oil market and the value of the Civil Defence Department has other commercial centres have in Qatar is well within the global project has been delayed due to economies would mean that GCC investments overall would said. met with a positive response. average of six to 10 minutes. a change in the plan to make the GCC oil and gas exports would also be affected.” Brig Abdullah Mohammed Al Many of these facilities have “Earlier, we were facing dif- facility bigger. suffer hugely, Al Khater told The A Saudi economist, meanwhile, Suwaidi, Director of Civil Defence, signed contracts for continu- ficulties in reaching places but New civil defence stations are Peninsula yesterday. also said he doubted the GCC said that the new rule had helped ous maintenance and check up the situation has improved with under construction in The Pearl Recalling the days of oil exposure to the US could be as improve the safety of all shopping under the supervision of the Civil opening of several new civil Qatar and Mesaieed and another embargo in 1973, he said the GCC low as $257.7bn. Mohamed Al centres in the country. Defence Department. defence stations across the coun- facility will be set up in Lusail by economies suffered immensely Omran was quoted by Kuwait’s Al “All our commercial centres He said electrical short circuits try,” said the official. “We have 2015. The civil defence headquar- then as they posted huge budget Sabah daily as saying that Saudi are now safe because we have continue to be the main cause of redistributed our stations on the ters in Wadi Al Sail is equipped deficits. “If the US fails to lift the Arabia has huge cash reserves, set safety requirements and fire incidents in Qatar and 80 per- national level to cope with the with latest technology and quali- debt ceiling, we would be enter- much of which were invested in an approval from civil defence cent of deaths in such incidents expansion of cities and residential fied engineers and other technical ing a phase of uncertainties and the US bonds. THE PENINSULA inspectors as a condition for were caused by suffocation. “Now and industrial areas,” he added. experts, said the official. immense difficulties.” Continued on page 6 licence renewal,” said Al Suwaidi, there is more awareness among A new station will open in THE PENINSULA Temple stampede kills 105 in India Kerry sees hope in BHOPAL: In one of the worst tragedies of its kind, a horrific stampede at a Durga temple US-Iran diplomacy in Madhya Pradesh yesterday left at least 105 people dead. LONDON: The US secretary of before the start of negotiations Officials said more than 100 state, John Kerry, said yester- between the Islamic Republic and others were injured in the day that the window for diplo- the five permanent UN security tragedy at the Ratangarh tem- macy with Iran over its nuclear council members and Germany, ple, 390km north of state capi- programme was “cracking which are set for tomorrow and tal. Officials said the death toll open”, but added that “no deal is Wednesday in Geneva. could rise. Full report on page 17 better than a bad deal”. Earlier yesterday, Iran said it Kerry made the comments would not allow any of its enriched SNC not to attend in a speech made via satellite uranium stockpile to be shipped from London to a foreign policy abroad, but said it could sanction Geneva peace talks conference in California staged other curbs on its nuclear pro- by the American Israel Public gramme in order to reassure the DAMASCUS: The Syrian Affairs Committee (Aipac), the international community that it is National Council said yester- most powerful pro-Israel lobbying not interested in building a bomb. day that it would not attend organisation in the US. The State “Right now, the window for proposed peace talks in Geneva Department released excerpts of diplomacy is cracking open. But and would quit and said it would Kerry’s prepared remarks. I want you to know that our eyes quit the umbrella opposition Also, Kerry and the European are open, too,” Kerry said. “While National Coalition if it partici- Union’s foreign policy chief, we seek a peaceful resolution to pated. See also pages 8 & 12 Catherine Ashton, held talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, words Iran, Syria, Egypt and the Middle must be matched with actions,” East peace process. The focus on said Kerry. GUARDIAN NEWS Iran’s nuclear programme comes See also page 12 Palestinian tunnel INSIDE Schedule of Eid events at various venues Due to Eid Al Adha holidays The Peninsula Plus will not A view of a ventilation shaft along a tunnel allegedly dug by Palestinians be published until Sunday. beneath the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel and recently uncovered by Israeli troops, yesterday. See also page 13 MONDAY 14 OCTOBER 2013 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME Ministry highlights New form of Islamism likely in Egypt efforts to preserve GU-Q expert says crackdown on Brotherhood may lead to cosmopolitan Islamism environment DOHA: The ongoing and unprec- the resistance,” said Al Arian. foundational predecessors, but stream- edented crackdown on the Muslim He argued that the repression may lined the modes of delivery of the DOHA: The Ministry of Environment has Brotherhood in Egypt by the mili- produce the unintended consequence Brotherhood to appeal to Egyptians underlined Qatar’s efforts to preserve the tary-led government may give rise of enabling the development of oppo- in a time where we see a fragmented environment, citing laws and regulations as to a new form of Islamism in the sition alternatives. “Maybe, this will Islamic identity, and when there are well as institutions, agencies and programmes country that will be inclusive of all give rise to a ‘cosmopolitan Islamism’, many more competitors in the arena of to boost these efforts. Egyptians, says a Middle East expert a civic Islamic identity, not one caught groups identifying as “Islamic”, includ- Qatar also continues to host conferences, at the Georgetown University Qatar between embittered Islamists versus ing the state,” said Al Arian.