2 US Envoys Set to Arrive This Week to Help Solve Gulf Crisis
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BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Ali bowls England to Test series INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2-5, 20 COMMENT 18, 19 Muntajat to export REGION 6 BUSINESS 1–7, 13-16 win over petrochem products 22,118.42 9,342.56 49.31 ARAB WORLD 6, 7 CLASSIFIED 8-12 +25.61 -2.81 -0.08 INTERNATIONAL 8–17 SPORTS 1–8 via Hamad Port South Africa +0.12% -0.03% -0.16% Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978 TUESDAY Vol. XXXVIII No. 10539 August 8, 2017 Dhul-Qa’da 16, 1438 AH GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Emir meets outgoing Belgian envoy 2 US envoys In brief set to arrive QATAR | Rights panel Israeli move to shut Jazeera offi ce slammed The National Human Rights this week to Committee (NHRC) has condemned the decision of the Israeli occupation authorities to close Al Jazeera’s off ice in Jerusalem and to withdraw the accreditation of its journalists. His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met the outgoing ambassador of Belgium to Qatar, Christophe In a statement issued yesterday, Payot, at the Emiri Diwan yesterday. The Emir wished the outgoing ambassador success in his future assignments and further help solve the committee described the Israeli progress and prosperity for the relations between the two countries. The ambassador thanked the Emir and the off icials in the decision as a flagrant violation of the State for their co-operation which contributed to the success of his mission. freedom of opinion and expression and right to information access. The committee considered the decision of the Israeli occupation authorities as a dangerous precedent in the bias Gulf crisis of the Israeli occupation towards the siege countries’ violation of this Tillerson deputes to take,” Tillerson told reporters last right. Page 2 Dubai’s status as a week. “There’s only so much you can State Department off icial do with telephone persuasion. But we ARAB WORLD | Politics Timothy Lenderking and are committed to see this disagreement Jordanian king in rare retired Gen. Anthony resolved, restore Gulf unity, because we Zinni to support Kuwait’s think it’s important to the long-term visit to West Bank fi nance hub at risk eff ort to defeat terrorism in the region.” Jordan’s King Abdullah II off ered mediation eff orts Zinni, who has not been given any support to Palestinian President Watching the Gulf crisis The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and formal role as a US envoy to the coun- Mahmoud Abbas during a rare closely: StanChart CEO Bahrain on June 5 cut ties with Qatar Reuters tries involved in the dispute, served as visit yesterday to the occupied over false Saudi allegations that Qatar Washington commander of US Central Command, West Bank following tensions Reuters has been supporting Islamist groups. which oversees US military operations with Israel over Al-Aqsa Mosque London Doha has denied the allegations. in the Middle East. Following his mili- site in Jerusalem. Abdullah’s trip The rift has prompted some banks wo US envoys arrive in the Gulf tary career he served as the US special was seen as a message to Israel from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bah- region this week to meet with envoy to Israel and the Palestinian Au- and the US over the sensitive he boss of Standard Chartered rain to reduce their exposure to Qatar Toffi cials to help resolve a dip- thority during the George W Bush ad- Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and has warned that Dubai risks in various ways, including by delay- lomatic crisis between Qatar and four ministration. the stalled peace process. It came Tdamaging its status as a fi nancial ing letters of credit and investment other Arab countries that has lasted for From 2009 to 2012, Zinni was chair- less than two weeks after the end centre as a result of the trade boycott deals. more than two months, a State Depart- man of BAE Systems, Inc., the world’s of a standoff at the holy site over of Qatar by a Saudi-led bloc, which in- Bill Winters: risk of turning away from Winters said his bank does not han- ment offi cial said yesterday. third-largest defence contractor, new security measures, including cludes the United Arab Emirates. the UAE dle a huge amount of cross-border Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emir- which has substantial operations in metal detectors, imposed by Israel Standard Chartered is a major lender business directly between Qatar and ates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic Saudi Arabia. He is now chairman of following an attack that killed two across the Middle East and CEO Bill Dubai International Financial Centre. the United Arab Emirates, but that his and transport ties with Qatar on June The Spectrum Group, which lobbies policemen. Page 6 Winters said it could become increas- The zone now is home to over 400 staff are mindful of the situation. 5, accusing Qatar of backing terrorism. the US government on behalf of the de- ingly diffi cult for Dubai to act as a fi nancial services fi rms including 17 of Since the trade boycott began, Dubai Qatar denies that it supports terror- fence and other industries. ASIA | Tension comprehensive regional hub for inter- the world’s top 20 banks, according to offi cials have shied away from any sug- ism and there has been no clear sign of The diplomatic rift is the worst dis- national companies’ Gulf operations if its website, with incentives including a gestion that the rift is having a negative a resolution to the diplomatic dispute. pute in decades among the US-allied North Korea defi ant the tension in the region continued. 50-year guarantee of zero tax on corpo- impact on business in the emirate. Timothy Lenderking, the US deputy Gulf Arab states, and came just days aft er new sanctions “There is a lot of benefi t we get from rate income and profi ts. But companies doing business with assistant secretary of state for Gulf after President Donald Trump visited North Korea vowed yesterday having a Dubai hub; we are looking to But the diplomatic rift with Qatar Qatar have faced disruptions such as aff airs, and retired US Marine Corps Saudi Arabia and touted US-Arab unity that tough new United Nations see what the eff ect of this will be,” he could make it harder for global banks to longer travel times and having to fi nd General Anthony Zinni “are in the in fi ghting terrorism fi nance and Iran’s sanctions would not stop it from told Reuters. “There is a risk of turning base the vast majority of their coverage new suppliers. Gulf region this week to engage with agenda in the region. developing its nuclear arsenal, as it away from the UAE.” of the Gulf out of Dubai. Investment banking fees in the Mid- the parties involved and support the Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ah- rejected talks and angrily warned Dubai, the largest city in the UAE, Winters said Standard Chartered dle East from merger and corporate Government of Kuwait’s mediation ef- mad al-Jaber al-Sabah has been hold- the United States of retaliation. The emerged as the region’s main banking itself had no plans to change its Gulf fundraising activity totalled $492mn forts,” a State Department offi cial said ing talks with GCC as well as world message of defiance was the first hub after the establishment in 2004 of operations, though it is watching the in the fi rst half of this year, Thomson on condition of anonymity. leaders to solve the crisis that has en- major response to the US-drafted a low-tax, independent zone known as situation closely. Reuters data showed. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, tered the third month now. sanctions, which the UN Security whose own trip to the Gulf in July re- Qatar has constantly maintained Council unanimously approved over sulted in a US-Qatari accord on com- that the diff erences have to be settled the weekend and which could cost bating terrorism fi nancing but no through talks. His Highness the Emir North Korea $1bn a year. Page 10 major breakthrough in the dispute, an- Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in New air routes open for Qatar fl ights nounced Zinni and Lenderking’s mis- his July 21 address to the nation em- LATIN AMERICA | Unrest sion last week. phasised Qatar is open for negotiations Venezuela army hunts QNA pacts caused by the siege countries on been operated, whether in the Arabian Zinni’s presence would help “main- provided that the country’s sover- Doha aviation and air safety where emergen- Gulf or the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of tain a constant pressure on the ground, eignty is respected and any solution is rebels behind raid cy corridors have been facilitated to the Oman. He revealed that the Civil Avia- because I think that’s what it’s going binding for all. Venezuela’s military was yesterday aircraft (from and to Qatar) based on tion Authority is currently considering hunting an ex-off icer and a he Civil Aviation Authority has Article (54) of the Chicago Convention new routes through international waters, lieutenant who led uniformed rebels announced that Qatar Airways on International Civil Aviation of 1944. which are supposed to be operated once on a weekend raid to grab weapons Tand international airlines will HE Abdullah bin Nasser Turki al- approved by all parties, including ICAO. from an army base.