BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Gharafa lift QSL Cup with 3-2 INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2-7, 20 COMMENT 18, 19 QCB plans deposit victory over REGION 8 BUSINESS 1-8, 13-16 protection framework, 24,754.75 8,522.83 57.46 ARAB WORLD 8 CLASSIFIED 9-12 -37.45 +310.89 +0.30 INTERNATIONAL 8-17 SPORTS 1-8 cybersecurity lab Al Rayyan -0.15% +3.79% +0.52% Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978 WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXVIII No. 10673 December 20, 2017 Rabia Il 2, 1439 AH GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Sheikha Moza visits National Day events Ooredoo launches In brief 5G service in Doha oredoo has launched one of the fi rst ‘5G Speed Experiences’ Oin various areas of Doha for QATAR | Astronomy a select number of VIP customers in Winter solstice to time for Qatar National Day, it was an- nounced yesterday. occur tomorrow Ooredoo’s ‘5G Speed Experience’ is Qatar and the rest of the northern available in select locations and will of- hemisphere will experience the fer an extremely high speed and low la- shortest day of the year tomorrow tency network with initial speeds of up in a phenomenon that astronomers to (and in some cases exceeding) 1Gbps. define as the winter solstice in This is the fi rst time in the world that the northern hemisphere. The “5G Speeds” have been made available phenomenon will happen when to customers on a live network and us- the sun will be completely vertical ing commercial smartphones. Ooredoo CEO Waleed al-Sayed. in the orbit of Capricorn at 7.29pm “This is a fi rst-in-the-world land- Doha time. Astronomer at the Qatari mark for Qatar, and demonstrates that On Qatar National Day in 2016, Oore- Calendar House, Dr Bashir Marzouk the Ooredoo Supernet is one of the doo completed trials for 5G speed and said winter solstice and the rest world’s leading networks,” Ooredoo latency, achieving incredible speeds of of the four astronomical seasons CEO Waleed al-Sayed said. “We will up to 36GB per second in their cutting- (spring, summer and autumn) continue working hard to provide Qa- edge engineering hub - which made occur as a result of the rotation of tar with a world-class infrastructural it at that time the fastest mobile data the earth in its orbit around the backbone in line with Qatar National service in the world. sun once a year, in addition to the Vision 2030.” In May 2017, Ooredoo announced tendency of the axis of the earth at Access to Ooredoo’s ‘5G Speed Expe- that 10 of its base stations had been the level of its orbit at an angle of rience’ requires a special smartphone equipped with 5G-ready technology, 23.5 degrees. that has been calibrated to work with and the company plans to start off ering the Ooredoo pre-standardised 5G net- the next-generation speeds to all con- REGION | Reaction work and Supernet upgrades applied in sumers in 2018, when 5G-ready devices the selected locations. are released. Houthi missile ‘bears This is the latest in a long line of In November, Ooredoo successfully hallmarks’ of Iran: US technological milestones for Ooredoo completed testing of 5G commercial US Ambassador to the United as the company continues to work to be services in partnership with Qatar Air- Nations Nikki Haley said a missile Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser visited the Qatar National Day activities at Darb Al Saai yesterday evening, where she one of the fi rst operators in the world ways, and later in the month success- fired by Yemen’s Houthi group toured the Qatar Foundation, Qatar Social Work Foundation and Al-Liwan tents. She also visited Katara – the Cultural Village to to off er incredible 5G speeds for all its fully reached speeds in excess of 1Gbps towards Riyadh yesterday “bears all witness National Day festivities. PICTURE: HHOPL/A R al-Baker Page 20 customers. using commercial devices. the hallmarks of previous attacks using Iranian-provided weapons.” Saudi air defences shot down the ballistic missile, the Saudi-led coalition said. There were no reports of casualties or damage. Page 8 CMC calls QATAR | Response Murder of Libyan Blockade sees surge in for setting leader condemned Qatar has strongly condemned the assassination of the mayor of the up shops Libyan city of Misurata Mohamad Eshtewi after being kidnapped by an armed group. In a statement, at parks the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Qatar business: QFC reiterated Qatar’s total rejection of criminal acts, whatever the motives Foreign companies also It refl ects a desire by international “They panicked.” When compared to the second quar- By Ishaq Philips and reasons, that contravene all boost presence in the companies to maintain close ties with Jaida also pointed to the number of ter, in the wake of the blockade, growth Doha values, principles, religions and the world’s biggest liquefi ed gas pro- companies registered in the Qatar Fi- rose 6.9%, from 390 companies to 417 heavenly laws, and stressed the country, says QFC chief ducer. nancial Centre, which has increased companies registered at QFC with need to bring the perpetrators to The trend, he said, has seen migra- 45% in the third quarter compared to $20bn in assets, QFC said in a state- he Central Municipal Council justice. The statement affirmed By Hadeel al-Sayegh/ Reuters tion from Dubai, which was tradition- the year earlier. ment. To Page 2 (CMC) yesterday recommend- Qatar’s support for the Libyan Doha ally the hub for companies doing busi- Ted setting up commercial shops political agreement, its outputs ness across the Gulf, from Saudi Arabia at public parks and neighbourhood and international efforts aimed at to Kuwait. US fi rm to probe riyal manipulation bid playgrounds to serve visitors. achieving security and stability in he Qatar Financial Centre The shift to Doha is the result of The CMC suggested that the Libya and realising the legitimate (QFC) is seeing a surge in busi- the diplomatic and trade boycott of Qatar Central Bank said yesterday it manner,” he said, adding that Ministry of Municipality and En- aspirations of its brotherly people. Tness as Qataris register more Qatar imposed by the four countries had launched a legal investigation the central bank had hired New vironment carry out a study on the The statement expressed Qatar’s of their assets at home and multina- on June 5. into attempts by countries opposed York-based law firm Paul, Weiss, issue especially since some areas condolences to the family of the tionals navigating a blockade of the “The immediate action was that a lot to it to harm the Qatari economy Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP near parks and playgrounds have no victims. country boost their local presence, its of the companies that had their spe- by manipulating the currency, to lead the investigation. He said neighbourhood markets (Al Furjan chief executive Yousuf al-Jaida told cial purpose vehicles set up in Dubai securities and derivatives markets. a number of financial institutions souqs). MIDDLE EAST | Policy Reuters. International Financial Centre were “We know blockading countries and individuals had been asked to The proposal if implemented will The diplomatic and trade boycott re-routing their investments in (to) and their agents are attempting preserve documents in advance help people living in the vicinity and Haniyeh praises Qatar’s imposed in June by Saudi Arabia, the the QFC because they wouldn’t know to manipulate and undermine our of legal proceedings. “Make no other visitors get easy access to essen- support for Palestinians United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bah- what the uncertainty factor would lead currency, securities and derivatives, mistake - where we find attempts tial requirements. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh rain has changed the way business is to eventually and how long this will go as part of a co-ordinated strategy to manipulate the Qatari riyal or The shops to be set up under this yesterday said Qatar supported done with Qatar, al-Jaida Reuters in an on for,” Jaida said. to damage Qatar’s economy,” QCB Qatar’s financial markets, we will plan should not be limited to cafeteri- Gaza Strip when many others interview. “They would rather hold those in- Governor HE Sheikh Abdullah bin take every step to identify and hold as and eateries, the council said, add- abandoned it. He said Qatar has State-owned companies, or com- ternational assets from here (Qatar) Saud al-Thani said in a statement. accountable anyone engaging in, or ing that a study could be conducted on not supported Hamas or any other panies owned by mostly Qatari share- rather than face uncertainty there be- “We will not stand by while attempting to engage, in this illegal the type of commercial activity that is faction, but rather supported the holders, and individuals are redirecting cause of their Qatari background or our country is attacked in this behaviour,” Sheikh Abdullah said. required the most. entire Palestinian people. “The their investments to the QFC,he said. nationality,” he said. Meanwhile, the CMC yesterday support of Qatar for our Palestinian discussed the responses of the MME people is a support for us and we to its previous recommendations re- will not fail those who supported us,” garding the regulation of road signs Haniyeh said during his participation and instruction panels, and noted that in the celebration of Qatar’s National the replies were adequate. Day in Gaza. The chairman of Land deal signed for labour accommodation The council said it would follow up Hamas’ political bureau praised on updates on the issue with both the Qatar’s firm stances and decision Ministry of Transport and Communi- regarding the Palestinian cause.