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TUESDAY 9 JUNE 2015 • 22 Shaaban 1436 • Volume 20 Number 6456 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 OPINION Emir meets Chiefs of Staff Syria is No RP stamp heading for break-up on passport The from June 15 situation in Syria New ID card to be proof of residence has dete- riorated DOHA: From June 15, no stick- self-service kiosks or through drasti- ers will be put on the passports Metrash2 service of the interior cally in of expatriates and their depend- ministry. the past Dr Khalid Al-Jaber ents being issued residency per- The fee structure for RP issu- few days mit (RP), or whose RP is being ance and renewal and for ID cards and does not look better renewed. will remain unchanged. than the situation in Iraq. Instead, a new ID card to be The RP renewal application for Assad’s forces have been issued will double as proof of an family and personal sponsorships suffering defeats consist- expatriate’s RP. And this card will can either be done online or in ently, IS and other extrem- be known as ‘residence card’. person. To avail kiosks, Metrash2 ists have been making Interestingly, the word and online services, people will progress and are now con- ‘employer’ is being removed from need a smart ID card. A sticker- trolling more towns and run- the new ID card and is being free visa regime will save expatri- ning over half of the country, replaced by the term ‘host’. By ates use of their passport pages Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani meeting with Chiefs of Staff of friendly countries participating in including borders with Iraq implication, all expatriate work- and the need to get new passports the sixth Conference of Chiefs of Staff of Coalition States for counter-terrorism, hosted by the Qatari Armed and Jordan. Banned and ers become ‘guest’ workers. issued frequently. Forces, at the Doha Sheraton hotel yesterday. dangerous weapons are no The new ID card will not men- The sticker-free RP system longer protecting Assad and tion the holder’s blood group any- is part of the interior ministry’s his regime. Heritage sites, more and will instead feature plans to go paperless in the near museums and ancient monu- his passport number and date of future. People could also visit any ments are being plundered its expiry. The new ID card will of the aforesaid offices for RP Draft sponsorship law with Shura Council and destroyed as we wit- assume utmost importance as it renewal for which the passport nessed in Iraq. will be the only physical proof will not be needed. However, in DOHA: A draft law amending report on the draft to the and recommendations of the com- The British daily, The of an expatriate’s residency in the case of issuance of new pass- some provisions of the spon- Advisory Council soon. mittee, and approve the draft and Guardian, published recently Qatar. port, one would need to go to sorship law has been referred In keeping with norms, a draft send it back to the Cabinet. a secret report prepared by For the first time, all chil- one of the aforesaid offices for to the Advisory Council for law is referred to the Advisory The Cabinet looks at the rec- CIA in August 2012. The dren will be issued ID cards even RP renewal for the first time. review. Council by the State Cabinet after ommendations and observations report not only predicted though their names may appear Renewal of RPs thereafter will The Advisory Council, at its its initial approval. The Council of the Advisory Council and but also welcomed the pos- on the passports of their parents. not require visits. routine weekly meeting yester- discusses it and many a times eventually refers the draft law to sibility of the establishment All expatriates must produce An expatriate with a valid RP, day, discussed the draft law and refers a draft law to one of its higher-ups for final approval. of an Islamic Emirate in East the new ID card when they enter who is overseas, will have to show referred it to its ‘Internal and internal committees for a special If a draft law is at the Advisory Syria and another state con- and exit the country. his new ID card while boarding External Affairs’ Committee for review and opinion. Council it should be considered at trolled by Al Qaeda in Syria The new ID card can be a flight to Doha as proof of RP. its expert opinion. The committee prepares a its last stages of approval, experts and Iraq. The report men- renewed for one, two, three or five Currently, airlines check RP The Committee met under its detailed report on the draft after say. tions Al Qaeda in Iraq, which years depending on the category stickers on expatriate-passengers’ rapporteur, Mohamed Abdullah several meetings and at times The Advisory Council’s Internal became ISIS, and other of visa applied for. passports. Airlines can alterna- Al Sulaiti, yesterday and took up after marathon consultations with and External Affairs Committee extremist groups as main Expatriates being issued RP tively check the validity of an the draft law (seeking to regulate government officials and experts is so named arguably because actors in the ongoing fight- for the first time will have to expatriate-passenger’s RP valid- the entry, exit and residence of and submits it to the Advisory it has members from within ing in Syria. visit the immigration department ity online, on the website of the expatriates) for discussion. Council. Advisory Council mem- the Council and invites outside Continued on page 4 (the Directorate of Nationality, interior ministry. The Committee, according to bers hold extensive debates on the experts to discuss an issue as Borders and Expatriates Affairs— Expatriates who lose their Qatar News Agency (QNA), is report and at times make sugges- observers. GDNBEA) or the service centres new ID card overseas will have expected to submit a detailed tions for changes to observations THE PENINSULA of the Ministry of Interior. to undergo long procedures to For renewal of an RP there obtain a ‘return visa’ for Qatar Libya rivals begin were will be no need for one to to board a flight to Doha. visit any of the above offices. Continued on page 2 peace talks Renewal can be done online, at THE PENINSULA Al Baker seeks curbs on New second-hand SKHIRAT, MOROCCO: market near Libya’s warring factions began crunch talks yesterday as world US rivals’ protectionism Religious Complex leaders called for “bold politi- cal decisions” to prevent the oil-rich nation crumbling into a MIAMI: Qatar Airways’ chief executive officer yesterday called for DOHA: The new second-hand failed state. the aviation industry’s largest trade group to address protection- market in the country that Amid warnings that chaos in ism, hitting back against US airlines campaigning to restrict what will replace the Souq Kharaj in Libya has allowed the Islamic they say is heavily subsidised competition from Gulf carriers. Najma will be located between State group to make inroads on US airlines are trying to persuade their government to alter the Wakrah and Mesaimeer, close Europe’s doorstep, United Nations “Open Skies” agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, to the Religious Complex, a envoy Bernardino Leon is pushing accusing them of lavishing their airlines with than $40bn in subsidies senior official of the Ministry for an agreement before the start and distorting competition. Emirates , Etihad Airways and Qatar of Municipality and Urban of the holy month of Ramadan on Airways deny the subsidy claims. Planning has disclosed. June 17. “The timing for fighting “Any rollback of liberal market access and Open Skies policies will A plot of land has been allotted has passed, the moment for bold reverberate across the whole world and will lead to retaliatory pro- in the south of Doha close to the political decisions has come,” G7 tectionism affecting all aspects of trade,” Qatar Airways’ CEO Akbar Religious Complex to shift Souq leaders said in a statement after Al Baker said at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Kharaj, said Mohammed Ali Al a summit in Germany. AFP annual meeting in Miami. Sheeb, head of the planning infor- See also page 6 Sample of an ID card to be issued to expatriates from June 15. REUTERS mation section at the ministry. Addressing a ministry pro- gramme — “open session with officials”, Al Sheeb said that about 1.5 sqm of land has been allotted for a new central market in Umm Ghuwaina area under Al Souq Faleh shopkeepers asked to vacate Rayyan Municipality. The exist- ing central market near Abu BY FAZEENA SALEEM Located next to Abdullah bin Zaid Al An expatriate, who is running a shop congestion and because part of the souq has Hamour will be redesigned to use Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center, for- at Souq Faleh since 1985, said, “We are already been demolished.” as commercial space in future, DOHA: Souq Faleh, one of the oldest merly known as Fanar, Souq Faleh is more paying QR8,000 per month, but we won’t “Earlier many workers used to come he added. markets in the city located opposite Souq than 30 years old and has at least 60 shops.