BUSINESS | Page 1 QATAR | Page 12 Masraf Al Rayan, Key milestone Al Khaliji merger in ‘Plant Million deal set to create top Trees’ initiative Mideast Islamic bank published in QATAR since 1978 FRIDAY Vol. XXXXI No. 11787 January 8, 2021 Jumada I 24, 1442 AH GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Trade, transport could resume with Qatar FM meets US Secretary of Treasury within a week: UAE Trade and transportation could Reconciliation resume between Qatar and boycotting countries within a week, the United Arab Emirates’ minister of state for foreign aff airs said yesterday. Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies agreed a new page: FM on Tuesday to restore ties with Qatar, ending a boycott imposed in 2017. Tuesday’s deal has US backing. taken in diff erent circumstances and “Measures to be implemented within that of 2017 are diff erent also. There a week of the agreement include were ongoing discussions for three practical measures of airlines, shipping months, with the participation of the and trade,” the UAE minister, Anwar US and Kuwait, and the statement of Gargash, told reporters. Kuwait on January 4 was to reach a However, other issues such as decision about which all parties were restoring full diplomatic relations and consulted. the Turkish presence in the Gulf would “We have seen a real will from Sau- take longer, the off icial said. “Some HE the Deputy Prime Minister and di Arabia to heal the rift, and we value issues are easier to fix and some others Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh the efforts of the late Amir of Kuwait will take a longer time.” Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al- and the current Amir of Kuwait. We “We have a very good start with Thani during an Al Jazeera interview are not dealing with imposing con- (Tuesday’s) agreement... but we yesterday. ditions of one state upon another, have issues with rebuilding trust,” but we are rather in the service of the said Gargash. “There will be bilateral he Gulf reconciliation is a new GCC system and laying down basic working groups to move forward on page, which is a victory for the principles for wise interaction in the other issues,” he added. (Reuters) TGulf Co-operation Council future. (GCC) and the advancement of its peo- “There will be steps taken by the four List of chronic ple, HE the Deputy Prime Minister and countries, and when matters return to diseases for medical Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mo- normal, these measures will be with- HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met yesterday with hamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said drawn in the event of a return to what the US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, who is visiting the country. During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral certifi cates updated yesterday. was before June 5, 2017. The success co-operation and issues of common concern. (QNA) Qatar’s health authorities have “The Al-Ula Declaration aims to of the summit is not a success for any announced an update to the list of transcend the disagreement and lay state party, it is a success for everyone, chronic diseases that are eligible for down rules for dealing with wisdom in and all parties were willing for the suc- the issuance of medical certificates the future relationship between states,” cess for the GCC. for patients who are at high risk of he explained in an interview with Al “We felt a real will from Saudi Ara- developing complications if they Jazeera. bia at the summit and a true welcome, contract Covid-19. The update has been “The Al-Ula statement is about clear and moving forward is our path in the Qatar Airways starts rerouting made as a result of recent medical fundamentals related to non-infringe- future. This reconciliation is for all the developments concerning the Covid-19 ment of state sovereignty. We agreed GCC and Saudi Arabia represented all pandemic, according to a statement on on solidarity in combating terrorism parties, and everyone participated, and the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and collective action to bridge the gap everyone signed. fl ights through Saudi airspace website. Page 12 and dispute. “There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia “The declaration is not a secret has its size and weight in the region, agreement, but rather related to the and Qatar wants to talk to all parties, NOTAMs of UAE, Bahrain, on Qatari-registered jets”. Health card mandatory “The removal of the ban was ef- to register kids at PECs basic principles that I mentioned, and and Saudi Arabia represented all par- Egypt to be updated in due the specifi c rules are respect for the na- ties. Qatar does not want to have a cri- course: Macheras fective immediately, meaning just Children, other than critical cases, tional sovereignty of each state. sis with any of the state parties. moments later a Qatar Airways A350 will not be registered at Paediatric “The understandings of 2014 were To Page 3 bound for South Africa became the Emergency Centers (PECs) without a atar Airways yesterday said it fi rst commercial airline fl ight in over valid health card starting this month, had started rerouting fl ights three years to cross into Saudi air- Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has Qthrough Saudi Arabian air- space, reducing fl ight time and saving announced through a post on social space. fuel,” he said. “The airspace of Saudi media. Trump faces calls for removal “This evening, Qatar Airways be- Arabia is now open to Qatar without gan to reroute some fl ights through restriction, and we should expect Qa- $2.5 bn Boeing pay-out as Congress certifi es Biden Saudi airspace,” Qatar’s national car- tar’s national airline, Qatar Airways, rier tweeted, adding the fi rst fl ight to to resume fl ights to Saudi Arabia very in US criminal probe The top two Democrats in Congress from off ice before then. use Saudi airspace was QR1365, which soon. Boeing Co will pay over $2.5 billion yesterday called for President Donald Absent that, they said Congress was scheduled to leave Doha for Jo- “For now, fl ights that have been to resolve the Justice Department’s Trump to be removed from off ice, should move quickly to expel him avoiding Saudi airspace for the dura- hannesburg at 8.45pm. probe into two deadly 737 MAX crashes one day after his supporters stormed through the impeachment process. tion of the blockade will now overfl y Flight-tracking websites later that killed 346 people, the Justice and vandalised the US Capitol in “We are in a very diff icult place in our the kingdom.” showed QR1365’s fl ight path over Saudi Alex Macheras Department said. The settlement a harrowing assault on American country as long as Donald Trump Qatar Airways pilots will once includes a criminal monetary penalty democracy. sits in the White House,” Pelosi said Arabia on its way to the South African Bahrain and Egypt – that had cut ties again be communicating with Saudi’s of $243.6mn, compensation payments at a news conference. Members of city. Transport chief leads in 2017. This includes the reopening air traffi c controllers, and the airline to airline customers of $1.77bn, and a Trump’s Cabinet and allies of the This was the fi rst scheduled Qatar of borders and airspace. will enjoy the fuel savings immedi- $500mn crash-victim fund. fl urry of resignations Republican president have discussed Airways service to fl y over Saudi Ara- Meanwhile, aviation analyst Alex ately – a win for the environment too, invoking the 25th Amendment of the bia since the start of the Gulf crisis in Macheras told Gulf Times that “this he noted. With 13 days left in Trump’s term, US Constitution which allows them to mid-2017. is the most signifi cant development “We’re expecting the ‘NOTAMs’ House of Representatives Speaker remove a president who is unable to CCOMMUNITYOMMUNITY Earlier this week, the Al-Ula Dec- of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic discharge the powers and duties of in more than three and a half years, laration was signed during the GCC and Egypt to also be updated in due Leader Chuck Schumer both said Vice his off ice, a source familiar with the as ‘NOTAMs’ (notices to fl ight crew See Pages Summit for the restoration of full issued by country aviation regula- course, following Saudi Arabia in re- President Mike Pence should invoke situation said, though another source relations between Qatar and the four the US Constitution to remove him said that was unlikely. To Page 3 tors) were updated by Saudi Arabia on moving their airspace bans on Qatar,” 4,5 & 6 nations – Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Thursday, removing the airspace ban Macheras added. QIA, Enel join forces to develop renewables in Sub-Saharan Africa nel Green Power (EGP) signed a mutual vision with Enel in supporting consists of one plant already in full an agreement with a subsidiary decarbonisation eff orts and believe this operation in Zambia (the Ngonye Eof Qatar Investment Authority investment represents an excellent op- PV plant, of 34 MW), one recent- (QIA) for a joint venture partnership portunity to develop and grow a lead- ly-connected plant in South Africa aimed at fi nancing, building and oper- ing renewable energy platform in the (the 148MW Nxuba wind farm), and ating renewable projects in Sub-Saha- region.” four projects under construction ran Africa. Francesco Starace, Enel CEO and (for a total of 587MW), namely the The parties also signed an agree- general manager, said: “Through this ing the new renewable projects.