ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Monday 1 April 2013 20 Jumada I 1434 - Volume 18 Number 5656 Price: QR2 Ooredoo’s Liverpool ultrafast 4G LTE increase Aston network soon Villa’s worries Business | 17 Sport | 28 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Relatives of New airport opening Qatari held in postponed DOHA: The opening of Hamad International Airport (HIA), which was UAE in despair scheduled for 12.20am today, has been cancelled. The last- minute cancellation of the much-publicised event fol- A month on, no contact with family lowed a directive from the Civil Defence Department. DOHA: The family of a supposed to be left the airport, In a late-night announce- 52-year-old Qatari medical doc- we were concerned…We called the ment Abdulaziz Al Noaimi, the tor who was arrested at Dubai office of Qatar Airways to know Chairman of the New Doha airport on his way to Doha from the reason. They told us that my International Airport (NDIA) Bangkok late last February is father did not board the flight Steering Committee said yes- in deep agony as he remains from Dubai.” terday they were forced to put untraced even a month after his “We tried to call him on his off the April 1 inauguration as detention. mobile phone but that was the airport did not meet the The family’s agony is deepen- switched off. When we called the newly introduced safety and ing as it has no clue as to why Qatari Consulate in Dubai they security requirements man- its lone bread-winner was taken informed us that our father had dated by the Civil Defence into custody. been detained at Dubai Airport Department. Dr Mahmoud Abdurrahman and was taken to Abu Dhabi The inauguration of the Al Jaida, who works in the state airport.” new airport will be held on energy sector here, was taken Abdurrahman said they another date. The date will be into custody at Dubai airport approached the authorities announced shortly, Al Noaimi when he was heading to Doha concerned in Doha pleading for said in a brief statement. from Bangkok. help. “They told us our father “The NDIA Steering He has eight children, besides would be back within three Committee commends the his wife, and one of his sons told days so there was no need to The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai in Doha yesterday. efforts of the Ministry of Al Sharq they were having a har- worry.” Talks were held at the Emiri Diwan and the Emir hosted a luncheon banquet in honour of Karzai. Interior represented by the rowing time since there was no According to him, three days Department of Civil Defence clue about their father even as lapsed and yet there was no trace for their commitment to more than a month had lapsed of their father. Afghan minerals worth up to $13trn raising standards of safety since he was arrested at Dubai “We contacted the authorities and security in Qatar. The airport on February 26. again and they told us that he Hamad International Airport “Our father had travelled to was under custody and was under DOHA: The US Geological lucrative investment opportuni- “Afghanistan is ready to project has been completed Thailand to see his brother who investigation but they claimed Survey believes that ties in different sectors, promi- welcome you with open arms. by a number of international was under medical treatment they did not know why he was Afghanistan sits over mineral nent among them being mining Investment in any sector will give contractors who have super- there. When he was return- detained,” said Abdurrahman. resources and gold deposits and quarrying, power generation, you good returns,” said the presi- vised the system readiness of ing from Bangkok to Qatar he Since he was arrested on worth $3trn to $13trn, accord- cement production, housing and dent, albeit adding that power the airport and have already was arrested at Dubai airport,” February 26, Mahmoud called his ing to the country’s visiting hospitality industries as well as generation and housing were issued international certifi- Mahmoud’s son, Abdurrahman Al family only once. President Hamid Karzai. aviation. the two key areas that promised cates in the domain of safety Jaida, aid. He talked to his wife on the Unbelievably, vast treasures of A number of Qatari business- instant returns. and security”, he added. He said they were in fact phone barely for three min- oil and gas, gold, precious stones men showed a keen interest in China was the first country to As per the original sched- waiting for their father at the utes. He hasn’t called back — including ruby — and other investing in the mining sector invest in Afghanistan — in copper ule, the national carrier Qatar Doha International Airport on after that. valuable minerals remain buried of Afghanistan, particularly, but mining with their stake totalling Airways was supposed to February 26 and when he did not “We are in deep agony. We under the rugged terrains of the expressed concern over the secu- a massive $4.5bn. arrive at the HIA at 12.20am arrive, they made an enquiry with don’t even know why he has been war-ravaged country. rity situation there. Karzai, how- But India surpassed China in the wee hours of today. Qatar Airways. arrested and when he would be Addressing elite Qatari busi- ever, told them his country was with a total investment of $11bn, THE PENINSULA “When every passenger of the back with us,” said the son. nessmen here on Saturday, Karzai safe and secure and there was no Karzai added. THE PENINSULA Continued on page 7 flight in which my father was THE PENINSULA said his country offered huge and need for concern. See also page 17 Morocco protest Nine arrested Qatar budgets QR200bn for doctoring expiry dates for public spending DOHA: Nine persons were DOHA: Qatar hopes to ear- growth of the non-energy sector arrested on charges of altering mark more than QR200bn and create a balance in the state’s expiry dates on large stocks of (about $55bn) for public spend- revenue sources. consumer and beauty products. ing in its budgetary estimates Increased spending on infra- It is suspected that the Asian for the current fiscal year (2013- structure development in every and Arab expats were doctoring 14) that begins from today and budget year after year reflects a the expiry dates of the items that lasts until March 31, 2014. welcome shift in Qatar’s economic included foodstuff, for sale. The budgetary outlay for spend- policy and will make the economy The arrests were made from ing in the previous budget (2012- more reliant on the non-hydro- the premises of a private com- 13) was QR178bn ($48.76bn). carbons sector. pany. Acting on a tip-off, the The current budget is to be It will eventually lead to a fair police caught them red-handed, based on an oil price of $65 per reduction in Qatar’s depend- a news item posted on the website barrel — unchanged from the pre- ence on oil and gas and bol- of the Ministry of Interior says. vious financial year. ster the non-energy sector, Al The police, after being tipped The conservative crude price of Ibrahim said. “We are making off, confirmed whether the infor- $65 per barrel is to make sure that the change…The impact of such mation was authentic. the budgetary outlay in the cur- spending will be visible over the Once the information was con- rent budget for spending on infra- long-term…You will see the ben- firmed, the police sought permis- structure development projects is efits in future,” he added when told sion from the Public Prosecution covered. Dr Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, that the private sector had been to conduct a raid on the premises. Economic Advisor at the Emiri complaining that there was so The facility was raided Diwan, told local Arabic daily much talk of mega projects being together with inspectors from the Al Arab that increased allocations launched but nothing was being felt Consumer Protection Department for public spending in successive on the ground. THE PENINSULA (CPD) of the Ministry of Business Protesters shout slogans at a demonstration for “rights and liberties” and to denounce the government’s annual budgets were to ensure the Continued on page 2 and Trade, the state-run con- policy in Rabat, Morocco, yesterday. sumer rights watchdog. Police recovered huge quan- tities of expired goods and arrested nine individuals who Fierce fighting in Aleppo Five kids killed in fire Pope prays for Syria peace Egyptian satirist freed were printing new expiry dates on the products. BEIRUT: Fierce fighting between Syrian LILLE, France: Five children between VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis prayed CAIRO: Egyptian satirist Bassem The goods were to be sold to rebels and regime forces has sparked the ages of two and 10 died when a for a “political solution” in Syria and for Youssef was released on bail yesterday shopping centres. an exodus of residents from the Sheikh fire ravaged their home in northern “reconciliation” on the Korean penin- after nearly five hours of questioning over The police also seized several Maqsud district of the northern city of France overnight while staying with sula in his first Easter Sunday message alleged insults to the president and reli- stamps and other equipment Aleppo, a watchdog group said yesterday. their divorced father who was seriously in front of a crowd in St Peter’s Square.