DOCSLIB.ORG

Qatari Startup Developing Self-Driving Utility Vehicle

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Qatari Startup Developing Self-Driving Utility Vehicle INDEX QATAR 2,3,16 COMMENT 14 BUSINESS | Page 1 QATAR | Page 16 ARAB WORLD 7 BUSINESS 1-8 American fi rms INTERNATIONAL 7-13,15 SPORTS 1-8 Qatar Museums playing key role DOW JONES QE NYMEX launches virtual in Qatar projects, tours of historical 27,657.42 9,942.06 40.85 say US Chamber -244.56 +0.63 -0.12 heritage sites -0.88% +0.01% -0.29% offi cials Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978 SATURDAY Vol. XXXXI No. 11676 September 19, 2020 Safar 2, 1442 AH GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Rare US honour bestowed on Kuwaiti Amir Qatari startup he Kuwaiti Amiri Diwan an- nounced that US President TDonald Trump has awarded Amir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jab- developing er al-Sabah the Legion of Merit, De- gree Chief Commander. Minister of Kuwait’s Amiri Diwan Aff airs Sheikh Ali Jarrah al-Sabah said that the honour comes in recogni- self-driving tion of the Amir’s tireless eff orts and signifi cant leadership role in the re- gion and the world, and as a culmina- tion of the historic and distinguished partnership between Kuwait and the utility vehicle US spanning decades, Kuwait News Agency (Kuna) reported. Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed The award also coincides with the al-Jaber al-Sabah. O Named Core, the vehicle is claimed upcoming 60th anniversary of the es- tablishment of relations between both be bestowed by the President, typi- US President Donald Trump has awarded Kuwait Amir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed to be the first in Qatar and the region nations, the minister added. cally to chiefs of state or heads of gov- al-Jaber al-Sabah the Legion of Merit, Degree Chief Commander. The rare, The Legion of Merit, Degree Chief ernment of other countries. The hon- prestigious honour was accepted, on behalf of Kuwait Amir by Sheikh Nasser Commander was accepted, on behalf our was last awarded in 1991. Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah at a ceremony in the Oval Off ice yesterday. By Joseph Varghese of Kuwait Amir at a ceremony in the A White House statement said: “A Staff Reporter Oval Offi ce by Sheikh Nasser Sabah leader in the Middle East for decades, tion Iraqi Freedom, Operation Endur- less mediation of disputes in the Mid- al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. the Amir has been a truly unwavering ing Freedom, and the Defeat-ISIS cam- dle East has bridged divides under the The Legion of Merit, Degree Chief friend and partner to the United States. paign. The Amir is also an unparalleled most challenging circumstances. The eralding a new era of technol- Commander, is a rarely-awarded, He provided indispensable support to diplomat, having served as his nation’s President is very pleased to award this ogy in Qatar, a startup based at prestigious decoration that can only the United States throughout Opera- foreign minister for 40 years. His tire- honour to his dear friend, the Amir.” HQatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) has developed a self-driv- ing utility platform. Named Core and claimed to be the fi rst in Qatar and the Qatar, Italy review ways to region, it is one of the winners of the Innovation Coupon, a grant, launched Saudi channel distorts enhance military relations recently by Qatar Foundation Research Development and Innovation. “Core is a self-driving utility vehi- Munera Fahad Aldosari US offi cial’s remarks to cle, compact in size and ideal for op- erations on sidewalks and bike-lanes. Our vehicle will be used in the fi rst make false claims self-driving contactless delivery pilot in public areas in the Netherlands next week. The vehicle has been shipped audi-owned television news with the Palestinians is resolved.” from Qatar for the pilot,” Munera channel Al-Arabiya has pub- In an interview with Bloomberg Fahad Aldosari, co-founder, Airlift Slished a story, distorting the News, she said: “We do not believe QSTP-LLC, disclosed in an exclusive statements made by an American that normalisation was the essence interview with Gulf Times. diplomat to falsely claim that “Qatar to this confl ict, and therefore it could Airlift is a technology startup off er- is very open to deal with Israel’. not be the solution. The core of this ing a mobile utility platform to unlock In comments made after the UAE confl ict revolves around the harsh the value of autonomous systems for all. and Bahrain normalised relations with conditions in which the Palestinians “From our headquarters in Qatar and Israel, US Deputy Assistant Secre- live. They live without a state, they tech hub in the Netherlands, we work tary of State for Gulf Aff airs, Timothy live under occupation.” with smart cities to identify new strat- Ahmed Mohamedali Lenderking, had said his country want- On whether there is pressure from egies to increase quality of life of their ed all the Gulf states to reach an eventu- the United States on her country in citizens while maintaining economic started two years back. “We always be- al normalisation of relations with Israel. this regard, AlKhater said: “Our re- competitiveness using our modular self- lieved that the future lies in employing In a press briefi ng, he said “Qatar lationship with the United States is driving vehicle,” explained Aldosari. robotics and AI for augmentation of issued its response to the recent nor- based on mutual respect, and there is “Innovation Coupon aims to help mankind. With the enthusiasm wit- malisation agreements with Israel, a strategic dialogue between Qatar and local entrepreneurs and startups scale nessed from the local authorities to- and that Washington understands the United States (held on September their innovative ideas. We’re grateful wards adopting cutting edge technol- that response”. But he stressed that 14 and 15), and the question of Pales- for the support received from QF to our ogy, we believe that it’ll take less than ‘there is a lot to build on, and each tine is one of the issues on the table.” talented team and such initiatives will two years to seeing Core and other country will move at its own pace In that briefi ng, Lenderking also contribute substantially to the innova- self-driving companies operating in on normalisation, and in accordance announced that the United States tion movement in Qatar and help scale Qatar,” Mohamedali said. with its own criteria”. hoped to declare Qatar a major non- it globally,” Aldosari said. Core is designed to comply with EU Qatar has always maintained that Nato ally. The US offi cial called on According to Ahmed Mohamedali, Regulation No 168/2013 and interna- any solution to the Middle East dis- the Gulf states to end their diff er- HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Aff airs general manager, Airlift is developing a tional standards for vehicle safety and pute has to be based on a just solu- ences, noting that his country has Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah met in Rome yesterday with Italian mobile robotic platform for low speed integrity such as ISO 26262. tion to the Palestinian issue. been in contact with all Gulf parties Minister of Defence Lorenzo Guerini. During the meeting, they reviewed multi-use functionality. “Powered by “Demand is growing for self-driving Last week, Qatar’s Assistant to resolve the GCC crisis. bilateral relations in the military and defence fields, and ways to enhance its self-driving capability, the Core plat- delivery vehicles. We aim to introduce Foreign Minister, HE Lolwah bint Lenderking also praised the Ku- and develop them. The meeting was attended by Commander of the Qatar form consists of electric vehicle, self- 100 vehicles to the market by 2022 Rashid AlKhater had said Doha waiti mediation led by the Kuwaiti Amiri Naval Forces Staff Major General (Navy) Abdullah Hassan al-Sulaiti, driving navigation, computer vision, both in Qatar and around Europe. With would not join the UAE and Bahrain Amir. The American offi cial stressed and Qatar’s military attache in Italy Brigadier General (Navy) Hilal Ali cloud computing, command and control our partners, we’re studying many in establishing diplomatic relations the need for the unity of the Gulf al-Mohannadi, Qatar’s ambassador to Italy Abdulaziz bin Ahmed al-Maliki and data analytics systems. It is ideal for modes of delivery, each is suitable for with Israel “unless the conflict countries to face common challenges. al-Juhani, and a number of senior off icers in Qatar Armed Forces. Page 2 contactless last-mile delivery and mo- a specifi c category. Currently, we’re bility, inspection, surveillance and data considering e-commerce parcels such collection applications,” he said. as fashion, electronics and home prod- Calif. wildfi re smoke Mohamedali revealed that there are ucts,” he pointed out. two variations of Core. “We are an- The current model of vehicle has a blankets parts of Canada nouncing our focus on moving people range of 70km per each charge. “We are Smoke from California and Oregon UN Security Council thanks Qatar and things with two variations of Core. working to increase this range with the wildfires has cloaked Canada’s Core for delivery and Core - in the new model coming soon. During test- third-largest city of Vancouver — pipeline - for mobility. However, we’re ing, we noticed people getting curious known for its majestic mountain also off ering our platform for enter- around the vehicle which represents views and fresh ocean breezes for facilitating Afghan peace talks prises that would be willing to experi- a minor challenge during operation.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Qatar to Establish Tamim Air Base
    BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Qatar sovereign assets Samba wins gold total over 100% of GDP in 400m hurdles published in QATAR since 1978 TUESDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 10924 August 28, 2018 Dhul-Hijja 17, 1439 AH GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Qatar to In brief establish QATAR | Offi cial Amir sends greetings to Moldova’s president His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Tamim Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani sent yesterday cables of congratulations to Moldovan President Dr Igor Dodon on the anniversary of his HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti leads the ceremonial speed test of Vodafone’s 5G country’s Independence Day. HE network in Qatar while being assisted by Vodafone Qatar CEO Sheikh Hamad Abdulla Jassim al-Thani and COO Diego Camberos the Prime Minister and Interior as other dignitaries look on. PICTURE: Shemeer Rasheed Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Air Base Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani also sent a similar cable to Prime Minister O Al Udeid Air Base Malki said Al Udeid Air Base will be Pavel Filip. expanded and the Doha Air Base will will be expanded and be developed to welcome new aircraft ASIA | UN probe Vodafone launches 5G network Doha Air Base will be and systems that have been intro- duced to the air force. Myanmar army ‘must on the transformative potential of 5G in of 5G in changing “how we all connect to developed to welcome “These include the French Ra- By Peter Alagos new aircraft, systems face genocide charges’ Business Reporter diff erent fi elds and industries, as well people and things around us forever.” fale fi ghters, American F-15 fi ghters, Myanmar’s military carried out as how it will improve the lives of resi- During the demonstration, Cam- Eurofi ghter Typhoon and other ad- mass killings and gang rapes of dents in Qatar.
    [Show full text]
  • Working Papers
    No. 6, November 2017 WORKING PAPERS MILITARY FACTORS IN THE MENA REGION: CHALLENGING TRENDS Sven Biscop and Julien Sassel This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement No 693244 Middle East and North Africa Regional Architecture: Mapping Geopolitical Shifts, Regional Order and Domestic Transformations WORKING PAPERS No. 6, November 2017 MILITARY FACTORS IN THE MENA REGION: CHALLENGING TRENDS Sven Biscop and Julien Sassel1 ABSTRACT Although the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has witnessed a long series of conflicts since the end of the Second World War, it is now in the unprecedented situation where nearly all MENA states are involved to a certain extent in ongoing conflict (e.g. in the Iraq–Syria area; Libya; Yemen). MENA states are involved to different degrees in these conflicts, ranging from direct involvement on the ground or in the air, to the arming and training of armed non-state actors. This report assesses the evolution of the armed forces, procurement and the defence industry in the countries of the MENA region, starting with the major regional powers, whose leverage extends across the region. Second, it looks at the middle regional powers, those who have some capacity for power projection but mostly at the sub-regional level. This is followed by analysis of the remaining states, those with little or no capacity for power projection. Finally, the report looks at those states on whose territory war is currently being waged, where governments and non-state actors are vying for control of the national territory.
    [Show full text]
  • Cranfield University Rashid Ali Al-Saadi Effectiveness
    CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY RASHID ALI AL-SAADI EFFECTIVENESS OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IN THE SEARCH FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF QATAR DEFENCE COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY PhD THESIS CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY DEFENCE COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE MANAGEMENT AND SECURITY ANALYSIS PhD DISSERTATION Academic Year 2006-2007 RASHID ALI MOHD AL-SAADI Effectiveness of Technology Transfer in the Search for Sustainable Development: the Case of Qatar Supervisor: Professor Ronald Matthews January 2010 Word Count: 83,674 © Cranfield University 2010. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright owner. ABSTRACT The Emir of Qatar firmly believes that security without development is not sustainable in the long run. Endorsed by Qatar’s top leadership, this conviction has spread contagiously to all corners of the public and private spheres, leading, in turn, to numerous initiatives and massive investments directed at the development of the country. Sustainable development investments in Qatar are promising, but the process is very slow amidst dynamic globalization. Technology capability is a key factor in accelerating the growth of economic, social and environmental development. Hence, the aim of this dissertation is to assess the effectiveness of technology transfer in Qatar's search for sustainable development. The scope of the dissertation is confined to an analysis of certain government agencies involved in technology transfer; the government, the industry and R&D centres. The study developed a framework of measures to assess Qatari technology transfer and sustainable development, categorized into nine themes, including sustainable development, governance and internal environment, external technology resources, internal technology resource measures, absorptive capacity, value chain, value network, research and development and competitiveness.
    [Show full text]
  • Qatar Takes UAE to ICJ for Rights Violations
    BUSINESS | 15 SPORT | 21-28 QBA holds board Big guns ready for meeting, reviews fire at Russia 2018 activities World Cup Tuesday 12 June 2018 | 27 Ramadan I 1439 www.thepeninsula.qa Volume 23 | Number 7555 | 2 Riyals Amir awards Al Wajba Medal to outgoing Pakistan envoy Amiri Diwan Qatar takes UAE announces Eid holidays to ICJ for rights QNA DOHA: On the occasion of Eid Al Fitr, the Amiri Diwan violations announces the Eid holidays. According to the THE PENINSULA During the illegal announcement, Eid holidays blockade, the UAE for Ministries, other DOHA: The Government of the enacted a series government entities and State of Qatar took the United public institutions start Arab Emirates (UAE) to the Inter- of measures that tomorrow (June 13) and end national Court of Justice — the discriminate against on Thursday, June 21, 2018. principal judicial organ of the Qataris. Employees are to resume United Nations and also known their work on Sunday, June as the World Court — in relation 24, 2018. to continuing human rights viola- organisations, including Human tions arising from the UAE’s Rights Watch, Amnesty Interna- discrimination against Qatar and tional, and Reporters Without Qatari citizens. Borders. One year ago, on June 5, Qatar and the UAE have con- 2017, the UAE, along with Saudi sented to the ICJs jurisdiction Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt, under Article 22 of the CERD to imposed an unlawful land, sea decide disputes involving the and air siege against Qatar as part Convention. Saudi Arabia, of a campaign of political and Bahrain, and Egypt have not so RAMADAN TIMING economic coercion, QNA consented.
    [Show full text]
  • Amir Heads Qatar's Delegation to Arab Development Summit
    BUSINESS | 02 SPORT | 12 QFC achieves Almoez looks to remarkable keep on firing 31% growth in in Asian Cup 2018 knock-out stage Sunday 20 January 2019 | 14 Jumada I 1440 www.thepeninsula.qa Volume 23 | Number 7777 | 2 Riyals Amir holds Amir heads Qatar’s delegation phone talk with to Arab Development Summit Mali President QNA QNA Michel Aoun. They discussed the a high level delegation con- DOHA DOHA most prominent topics on the sisting Minister of Finance H E agenda of the Arab Economic and Ali Shareef Al Emadi and Min- Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Social Development Summit. ister of State for Foreign Affairs Hamad Al Thani held Hamad Al Thani heads the State The Lebanese President had H E Sultan bin Saad Al yesterday a telephone conver- of Qatar’s delegation to the Arab welcomed the participation of Muraikhi. sation with the President of Economic and Social Devel- H H the Amir in the summit. The meeting reviewed the the Republic of Mali, Ibrahim opment Summit, slated for today They also discussed bilateral rela- item on the draft agenda of the Boubacar Keita. (Sunday) in Beirut, at the invi- tions and the means to enhance summit including the Arab During the phone call, the tation of President of the them in all fields, in addition to Emergency Food Security two leaders discussed Lebanese Republic General exchanging views on regional and Program, the integration and bilateral ties and means to Michel Aoun. international issues of joint interest. trade exchange of agricultural promote them.
    [Show full text]
  • The GCC Crisis at One Year
    The GCC Crisis at One Year Stalemate Becomes New Reality Contributors Majed M. al-Ansari Abdullah Baabood Gabriel Collins David B. Des Roches Charles W. Dunne Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Marwan Kabalan Tamara Kharroub Joe Macaron Kristian Coates Ulrichsen Editors Zeina Azzam Imad K. Harb TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 5 Khalil E. Jahshan I: Stalemate and Mediation 11 Measures of Stalemate in the GCC Crisis 13 Imad K. Harb Kuwait’s GCC Mediation: Incentives and Reasons for Failure 23 Marwan Kabalan A Difficult Position: US Mediation in the Gulf Dispute 31 Charles W. Dunne Perspective: Can Washington Resolve the Impasse? 43 Majed M. al-Ansari II: Impacts and Implications 47 Missed Opportunities and Failed Integration in the GCC 49 Kristian Coates Ulrichsen Anti-Qatar Embargo Grinds toward Strategic Failure 59 Gabriel Collins Qatar’s Military Response to a National Emergency 73 ACW Research Team GCC Military Cooperation: A Receding Vision 81 David B. Des Roches Understanding the Humanitarian Costs of the Blockade 91 Tamara Kharroub GCC Divisions and Regional Challenges 101 Joe Macaron The International Implications of the GCC Stalemate 109 Abdullah Baabood Biographies of Contributors 119 About Arab Center Washington DC 125 INTRODUCTION Khalil E. Jahshan INTRODUCTION Khalil E. Jahshan June 5, 2018 marked the first anniversary of the crisis in the Gulf Cooperation Council, when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain severed diplo- matic relations with neighboring Qatar and imposed an air, land, and sea blockade against it. A few weeks later, they issued a long list of demands for their fellow GCC member to implement in return for defusing the crisis.
    [Show full text]
  • Qatar Armed Forces Give Briefing on Successful 'Nasr 2020' Exercise
    04 Wednesday, July 22, 2020 Nation QFFD and UNDP event Qatar Armed Forces give briefing discusses accelerating on successful ‘Nasr 2020’ exercise progress towards SDGs QNA addressing the developmental QNA DOHA challenges wreaking havoc in DOHA fragile states and least devel- QATAR Fund for Develop- oped countries (LDCs) and THE Qatar Armed Forces on Tuesday ment (QFFD) and United hampering progress towards presented a briefing on the ‘Nasr 2020’ Nations Development Pro- Agenda 2030”. exercise, in which units of all armed gramme (UNDP) Accelerator The event was attended by forces participate. Labs hosted a virtual event Hamad Al Qahtani, SME In- The briefing was attended by Dep- on the sidelines of the 2020 cubation & Acceleration man- uty Chief of Staff for Education and High-level Political Forum ager and general manager of Training at the Qatari Armed Forces on Sustainable Development Qatar Incubation Center; Nouf Major-General Hamad Ahmed Al Nu- (HLPF). Al Kaabi, development analyst aimi and a number of officers of the The theme of the conver- at QFFD, and a number of units participating in the exercise. sation was ‘The Fast and the experts and specialists in the The exercise aims to enhance joint Curious. Local innovations to field of development and in- work, unify concepts and test the capa- accelerate progress towards novation. bilities and readiness of all units in the the Sustainable Development The participants dis- armed forces. Goals in times of COVID-19’. cussed the importance of “QFFD is very proud to be speed and diversity, as well a core investor in the Accelera- as taking advantage of solu- tor Labs network.
    [Show full text]
  • Qatar: Background and U.S
    Qatar: Background and U.S. Relations Christopher M. Blanchard Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs November 4, 2014 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL31718 Qatar: Background and U.S. Relations Summary Qatar, a small peninsular country in the Persian Gulf, emerged as a partner of the United States in the mid-1990s and currently serves as host to major U.S. military facilities. Qatar holds the third- largest proven natural gas reserves in the world, and is the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas. Its small citizenry enjoys the world’s highest per capita income. Since the mid-1990s, Qatari leaders have overseen a course of major economic growth, increased diplomatic engagement, and limited political liberalization. The Qatari monarchy founded Al Jazeera, the first all-news Arabic language satellite television network, in 1995. Over time, the network has proven to be as influential and, at times, as controversial as the policies of its founders, including during recent unrest in the Arab world. In June 2013, Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani abdicated in favor of his son Tamim bin Hamad, marking the first voluntary and planned transition of power in Qatar since it became an independent country in 1971. In a 2003 referendum, Qatari voters approved a new constitution that officially granted women the right to vote and run for national office. The constitution envisions elections for two-thirds of the seats in a national Advisory Council. However, elections have not been scheduled, and the term of the current Advisory Council has been extended to 2016. Central Municipal Council elections were last held in May 2011.
    [Show full text]
  • F-4 Phantom-Ii Metu & Odtü Teknokent Qatar Armed
    VOLUME 14 . ISSUE 98 . YEAR 2020 METU & ODTÜ TEKNOKENT TURKEY’S PIONEER IN UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY THE STATE OF QATAR AND COOPERATION QATAR ARMED FORCES F-4 PHANTOM-II FLIGHT ROUTE IN TURKEY & WORLD T70 GETTING READY FOR ITS MAIDEN FLIGHT! ISSN 1306 5998 INTERNATIONAL FUTURE SOLDIER CONFERENCE 29-30 SEPTEMBER 2020 Sheraton-Ankara Within the scope of the planned conference program, panels, presentations, and discussions will be held in the following related technology fields: • Combat Clothing, Individual Equipment & Balistic Protection • Weapons, Sensors, Non Lethal Weapons, Ammunition • Power Solutions • Soft Target Protection • Soldier Physical, Mental and Cognitive Performance INTERNATIONAL • Robotics and Autonomous Systems SOLDIECONFERENCE R • Medical FUTURE • C4ISTAR Systems ifscturkey.com • Exoskeleton Technology • CBRN • Logistics Capability organised by supported by supported by supported by in cooperation with Publisher 6 34 Hatice Ayşe EVERS Editor in Chief Ayşe AKALIN [email protected] Managing Editor Cem AKALIN [email protected] International Relations Director Şebnem AKALIN [email protected] Turkey & Qatar Foul-Weather Friends! Editor İbrahim SÜNNETÇİ [email protected] Administrative Coordinator Yeşim BİLGİNOĞLU YÖRÜK [email protected] 48 Correspondent Saffet UYANIK [email protected] A Message from the President F-4 Phantom II Flight Translation of Defense Industries Prof. Route in Turkey & Tanyel AKMAN İsmail DEMİR on the Measures [email protected] Taken Against COVID-19 in World Turkey Editing Mona Melleberg YÜKSELTÜRK Graphics & Design Gülsemin BOLAT Görkem ELMAS [email protected] 12 Photographer Sinan Niyazi KUTSAL Advisory Board (R) Major General Fahir ALTAN (R) Navy Captain Zafer BETONER Prof Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • The State of Qatar and Qatar Armed Forces
    The State of Qatar and Qatar Armed Forces The State of Qatar is in the world the State of crime rate, according a peninsula located Qatar has a total land to the World Economic amid the western area of 11,610 km2 (4,483 Forum. by İbrahim SÜNNETÇİ coast of the Arabian sq. miles). According Gulf. The peninsula is to United Nations (UN) Military Service allowed female Qatari citizens to join the Army approximately 100 km estimations, dated Since April 2015, when and extended compulsory across and extends August 2019, the State of the National Service Law military service to one 200 km into the Gulf. Qatar’s total population entered into force, Qatar year. With this step the Qatar adopted its first is 2,839 million. With has made it mandatory State of Qatar has sought written constitution in some 340,000 people, for Qatari citizens to to increase its limited April 1970 and became Qataris are considered be conscripted in the manpower (citizen- fully independent from a ‘minority’ in their own Army. Until April 2018, soldiers) for the Armed the United Kingdom nation amounting to only Qatari men between the Forces. According to on September 1, 1971. 12% of the population. ages of 18 and 35 years Law No. 5 of 2018 on The State of Qatar Foreign workers amount old must train in the compulsory national is a sovereign and to around 88% of the military for at least three service program issued independent Arab state population, with Indians months if they are college by the Emir Sheikh Tamim that has been ruled by being the largest graduates, and four Bin Hamad Al-THANI on the Thani Family since community numbering months if they have high April 4, 2018 Wednesday, Jassim Bin Mohammad around 700,000.
    [Show full text]
  • Conceptualizing the Qatari-African Foreign Policy and Economic Relations: the Case of Soft Power
    CONCEPTUALIZING THE QATARI-AFRICAN FOREIGN POLICY AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS: THE CASE OF SOFT POWER Ben O’Bright* ABSTRACT Using a case study approach, this article examines the shifting dimensions of Qatar’s international relations strategies with select, geo-politically important African states, including primarily the latter’s private sector and civil society, and focusing on the current or potential use of soft power in particular. To start, this article presents a comprehensive overview of soft power, including its international relations theory-based historical origins; definitional boundaries; associated tools and mechanisms; and the concept’s pragmatic problems and limitations. Second, the article offers several best practice case studies, including the United Kingdom and China, from which core lessons on soft power development and application can be gleaned. This will advance from a list of seven key lessons that any prospective soft power state should consider. Following this, the article engages in an examination of available evidence outlining Qatar’s attempted soft power action on the African continent and, particularly in Sudan, Somalia, Mali and Tunisia, arguing that it relies extensively on “carrotdiplomacy” or the influencing of others backed by material and financial resource inducements. Finally, five problems and roadblocks affecting Qatar’s approach to international relations will be presented, followed by alternative (soft) power-based strategies, which could be explored by its government and leadership. Keywords: Soft Power; Qatar; Africa; Sudan; Somalia; International Relations; United Kingdom. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jsdlp.v8i1.4 1. INTRODUCTION The 1940s and 1950s mark a beginning of the concept of state-driven power, a hallmark of the political science and international relations * PhD Candidate, Dalhousie University and Researcher, Centre on Governance, University of Ottawa.
    [Show full text]
  • Qatar Relations India-Qatar Cooperation in Diverse Sectors Has
    India - Qatar Relations India-Qatar cooperation in diverse sectors has been steadily growing in an excellent framework provided by historically close ties and regular and substantive engagement, including at the highest levels of the two Governments. The large, diverse, accomplished and highly regarded Indian community is making an important contribution to Qatar's progress and in nurturing the bonds of deep-rooted friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries. Political Relations Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi paid a landmark Official Visit to Doha from 4-5 June, 2016 at the invitation of HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar. PM’s visit provided an excellent opportunity to both sides to engage at the highest level, and imparted fresh momentum to our bilateral ties. This was the highest-level visit from India to Qatar since the visit of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in November, 2008. Before visiting Doha, PM called the Emir on 3 June, 2016 to convey best wishes on his birthday. Earlier, on 2 November, 2015, the Emir had held a telephonic conversation with PM and the two leaders had discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and means to enhance and develop them, and reviewed a number of issues of common interest. There has been regular exchange of high-level bilateral visits in the recent past. The Emir of Qatar HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani had paid a State Visit to India in March 2015. Previously, the then Emir HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani [now the Father Emir] had visited India in 1999, 2005 and 2012.
    [Show full text]