3rd Best News Website in the Middle East BUSINESS | 17 SPORT | 24 Doha Bank posts Afif double H1 net profit with lifts Qatar past impressive ratios Turkmenistan Thursday 20 July 2017 | 26 Shawwal 1438 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Volume 22 | Number 7228 | 2 Riyals Siege countries scale back demands Saudi-led bloc reduces list of 13 demands to ‘six principles’ United Nations groups, and suspend all acts of Agencies provocation and speeches incit- Gulf nations rebuff bid to ease ing hatred or violence. audi Arabia, the United Al Mouallimi said the four- Arab Emirates, Bahrain nation quartet thinks it “should humanitarian impact: Al Marri and Egypt cut back their be easy for the Qataris to accept” demands for Qatar by the six principles. He stressed Al Jazeera half, also allowing the that implementation and mon- Scountry to meet the requests itoring must be “essential he head of Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) says without specific deadlines, media components,” and “there will be his efforts to ease the humanitarian impact of the blockade on Qatari reported yesterday. no compromise when it comes Tand other citizens has been rebuffed by human-rights groups in neigh- According to The Wall Street to principles.” bouring Arab Gulf states. Journal newspaper, the new list But he said both sides can talk H E Ali bin Sumaikh Al Marri, the NHRC chairman, disclosed in Doha includes six demands instead of about details of “the tactics” and yesterday that he had sent letters to his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, 13. The list also does not impose “the tools” to implement them — UAE and Bahrain asking them to appeal to their governments to spare any deadlines for Doha, the media “and that’s where we can have Gulf citizens the humanitarian, social and economic consequences of added Saudi Arabia, the United discussion and compromise.” the dispute. “We either got no response or have been attacked by our Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain The Saudi ambassador colleagues working on human-rights issues in the blockading nations,” broke diplomatic relations with explained that the initial 13 points he said. He said the human-rights sections in the Arab League, the Organ- Qatar in early June largely over included some principles and some isation of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab Parliament and the Gulf their allegations that it supports tools to achieve compliance. He Cooperation Council (GCC) have ignored his plea. terrorist and extremist groups — said closing Al Jazeera might not be Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) H E Ali a charge Qatar rejects. They necessary. “If the only way to bin Sumaikh Al Marri speaking to media in Doha, yesterday. → Continued on page 5 initially made 13 demands, which achieve that is by closing down Al Qatar also dismissed. Jazeera, fine,” he said. “If we can Saudi Arabia’s UN Ambas- achieve that without closing down sador Abdallah Al Mouallimi Al Jazeera, that’s also fine. The told a briefing for a group of UN important thing is the objective correspondents yesterday that and the principle involved.” NBC: Fake news played major role in diplomatic split the four nations are now com- Meanwhile, the US State mitted to the six principles Department emphasised Doha Washington A US intelligence official said that the media on May 24 to plant the false com- agreed to by their foreign min- “maintained a strong partner- QNA quotes attributed to the Emir H H Sheikh ments attributed to the Emir. The intelligence isters at a meeting in Cairo on ship in the fight against Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani were phony and official said the operatives who carried out July 5, and hope Qatar will sup- terrorism in 2016 and collabo- FAKE news designed to harm Qatar’s relations part of a campaign to hurt Qatar. the hack may have been private contrac- port them as well. rated to foster closer regional with the US played a major role in the diplomatic Several officials confirmed the report in tors, but US authorities sees the UAE as The principles include com- and international cooperation split between the tiny Gulf nation and its neigh- the Washington Post that someone work- ultimately responsible. mitments to combat extremism on counterterrorism, law bors, say both US officials and the Qatari ing for the United Arab Emirates government and terrorism, prevent financ- enforcement and rule of law government according to an NBC News report. hacked into Qatari news sites and social → Continued on page 5 ing and safe havens for such activities“. Official questions Sheikha Mayassa at ‘Skate Girls of Kabul’ expo Financial Times: Blockade jeopardises disorganised Gulf’s position as business haven conduct by QNA siege countries he siege imposed on Qatar has jeopardised the Gulf’s hard-won position as a haven of business stability within the restive Middle DIRECTOR of Qatar’s Gov- TEast, a Financial Times report said on Wednesday. ernment Communications The private sector has been left reeling by the move from the siege Office, says Arab countries that broke business ties, dealt a blow to cross-border investments, and that have moved to isolate caused uncertainty and confusion and pushed up costs. Qatar have acted dangerously The regional trans-shipment hub of Jebel Ali has barred Qatar-bound and in a “disorganised man- vessels until further notice. UAE authorities have also notified freight- ner” after apparently forwarders not to handle any cargo destined for Qatar, including shipments changing their demands. via a third country, the report said. UAE officials have threatened further H E Sheikh Saif Al Thani restrictions against businesses that carry on doing business with Qatar. said yesterday the new Multinationals operating out of the regional business hub of Dubai demands are “another exam- are already having to decide whether their Qatar business is lucrative ple of the dangerous and enough to risk censure in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt. disorganised manner in “The crisis has encouraged companies to think about restructuring to which the illegal blockade has H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (right), Chairperson of keep UAE and Qatar operations separate,” says one diplomat. Others are been conducted.” Qatar Museums (QM), during the ‘Skate Girls of Kabul’ exhibition that opened pre-empting any call to sever ties with Qatar by turning down new busi- In response to questions yesterday at QM Gallery in Katara. → See also page 16 ness there. Some are shifting responsibility for servicing Qatari clients from The Associated Press, from Dubai to offices in Europe. he said the four countries have regularly issued “con- flicting statements and arguments.” Not in good faith: Qatar Chamber to assess losses to companies The Peninsula companies, public institutions and indi- and documented information, he noted. uments will be dismissed. Ambassador viduals. Saif bin Yousef Al Kuwari, Head “We have launched an online ques- Al Kuwari praised directives of QC’s Sheikha Alia atar Chamber has recently published of Committees & Business Councils tionnaire via the Chamber’s website Chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al an online questionnaire via its web- Department at the Chamber and Head through the link http://qatarchamber. Thani attempting to identify all damages Qsite to assess all damages and losses of the Economic Committee for identi- com/?lang=en,” he added. to local companies due to the unfair siege QATAR’S Ambassador to the to Qatari companies caused by the block- fying damages caused by the boycott said Al Kuwari called upon owners and and addressing all results to the Com- UN H E Sheikha Alia Ahmed ade imposed on Qatar by siege countries, that the Chamber is very interested to officials of Qatari companies to fill out pensation Committee. bin Saif Al Thani said that the said the Chamber yesterday. The step collect accurate and true information on the questionnaire and to provide accu- The questionnaire should be com- four Arab states scaled back mainly aims to identify the extent of the extent of actual damages to Qatari rate and correct information. pleted for each activity separately. The their demands not as a sign damages to Qatari companies in order companies due to the unfair blockade. He stated that companies affected by actual damage (not the expected) shall of good faith, but in attempt to address the Compensation Claims The questionnaire aims at pinpoint the siege must attach all required docu- be mentioned during the period from to save their image amid Committee (CCC) recently launched to the actual volume of transactions and ments which will be submitted later to June 5, 2017 until the date of filling out international pressure over tackle loss claims made by government damages in order to take the appropri- the Compensation Claims Committee, the questionnaire, Al Kuwari pointed the initial list of demands. bodies, authorities, ministries, private ate legal measures according to accurate assuring that claims unsupported by doc- out. 02 HOME THURSDAY 20 JULY 2017 Minister of Public Health meets UK envoy UK State Minister Complementary batch for Middle East of Turkish troops meets Qatar’s arrives in Doha Ambassador London QNA QNA he complementary group of the sixth batch of Turkish troops arrived in the State of Qatar, the Directorate of Moral Guid- ALISTAIR BURT, minister of Tance at the Ministry of Defence announced. state for the Middle East and The group, which comes in the framework of joint military North Africa and minister of cooperation between the State of Qatar and the sisterly Republic state for international devel- of Turkey, comprises artillery commanders, two C17 aircraft and opment of the United a number of cannons from the Turkish Army’s artillery division.