www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS | 14 SPORT | 22 Aamal net profit Qatar Cup: El Jaish up 33.7% at aim to dethrone QR153.7m in Q1 Lekhwiya FRIDAY 29 APRIL 2016 • 22 Rajab 1437 • Volume 21 • Number 6781 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar Qatar key to Emir welcomes King Mohammed of Morocco boosting QNA DOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday led well-wishers to welcome King Turkey-GCC ties Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco and his delegation at Hamad International Airport. Qatar and Turkey are working on Deputy Emir H H Sheikh Abdul- ways to further strengthen relations lah bin Hamad Al Thani was also Turkish Premier to register a multi-fold increase in the present at the airport to greet King Ahmet Davutoglu two-way trade volume from the cur- Mohammed who arrived on an offi- rent $1.3bn to up to $5bn, he added. cial visit to Qatar. says both countries Dr Davutoglu stressed that busi- Qatari Ambassador to Morocco are working on ness communities from both sides Abdulla bin Falah bin Abdulla Al need to work hard to improve the Dossari and Moroccan Ambassa- increasing trade trade volume in all sectors of both dor to Qatar Al Makki Kwan were volume from the thriving economies which are com- also present. plementary in nature. He thanked Later, the Emir and King current $1.3bn to up Qatari government and people for Mohammed held official talks at to $5bn. investment and cooperation and said the Emiri Diwan, attended by the Turkey would like to see more invest- Deputy Emir and Prince Moulay ments for mutual benefits. Rachid of Morocco. “We want to promote trade They reviewed relations By Mohammad Shoeb exchange in the coming years. We between the two brotherly coun- The Peninsula discussed impediments and obstacles tries, ways of enhancing them at faced by the business communities and various levels for the benefit of ensure that things will be for better.” both countries and their peoples Dr Davutoglu said both countries and issues of common interest, par- DOHA: Turkey is looking at Qatar are also working to promote tour- ticularly regional developments, as a cornerstone of developing rela- ism and health tourism and will soon including the situation in Pales- tions with other GCC states and both establish a hospital in Qatar. Turkey tine, Syria and Yemen. countries are working together to take is one of the most favourite destina- King Mohammed was accorded bilateral relations to new heights, vis- tions for Qataris, and last year some an official reception at the Emiri iting Turkish Prime Minister Dr Ahmet 36,000 people visited the European Diwan. Davutoglu said yesterday. nation, he added. The Emir also hosted a dinner Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani welcomes King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco “We had a very fruitful meeting Present at the business lunch- banquet in honour of King Moham- today with Emir H H Sheikh Tamim eon were the Premier, the Turkish and his delegation at Hamad International Airport. med and his delegation. bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Min- Premier’s delegation, guests, minis- ister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh ters, diplomats, members of Qatari Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Businessmen’s Association (QBA), Thani. Our relationships are at the including Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim strongest level but we are cooper- Al Thani, Chairman, QBA; Hussain Qatar eyes ‘best of the best’ turf for 2022 ating to advance them further to the Ibrahim Alfardan, First Deputy to next level in all aspects, including the QBA Chairman and Chairman, business, trade, investment, energy, Alfardan Group; Sheikh Dr Khalid agriculture, tourism, healthcare, cul- bin Thani Al Thani, Second Deputy AFP football World Cup in six years’ time. built in the shadow of the Khalifa Inter- played in November-December — ture diplomacy and defence,” he told to the QBA Chairman and Chairman, “This is a unique facility, there’s national Stadium, which will host the but also the turf’s “playability” and a meeting organised by Qatari-Turk- Ezdan Holding Group; Sherida Al nothing like it in this region,” said World Athletics Championships in 2019 aesthetics. ish Business Forum. Kaabi, QBA Board Member; Sultan Yasser Abdulla Mulla, a sports turf and World Cup games three years later. The turfs are a selection of types “There is great will on both Rashed Al Khater, Undersecretary at DOHA: Watching grass grow is not manager with the Supreme Committee All the grasses are flown in from such as Bermuda grass, commonly sides to advance cooperation in all the Ministry of Economy and Com- usually considered exciting but there’s for Delivery and Legacy responsible abroad, usually the US. They are trans- fast-growing and tough, Paspalum, fields, including agriculture, LNG merce; Salem bin Mubarak Al Shafi, a buzz of anticipation among Qatar’s for organising the World Cup. ported as sprigs in 40kg boxes, planted, found in sub-tropical regions, or tufted and defence among other common Qatari Ambassador to Turkey, and World Cup organisers about 12 types of “We are looking for the best type watered and grown in full shade, par- Ryegrass. projects. We are building a strate- other officials. turf gently sprouting on former Doha of grass that can survive the region tial shade or left uncovered, leaving the Sand and organic materials are gic alliance and signing agreements Sheikh Faisal told the meeting: farmland. and Doha. We are looking for the best turf to the mercy of the harsh desert used for the grass base. for trade and defence cooperation. “We put great importance on eco- One of the dozen grasses will take of the best.” climate. Trials started last year and a final “We trust each other like broth- nomic relations between the two centre stage and become the most The R & D centre is in Murakh to The grasses are watered once a decision will be taken next year. ers and Turkey will never leave Qatar countries. Scores of Turkish companies watched strips of green on the globe, the western margins of Doha. Empha- day and have been planted as a full That choice rests with Qatar, says behind at any moment of time,” he are active in Qatar, especially in the at least for 28 days during the FIFA sising Qatar’s transformation, it was pitch or in about metre-long squares, Mulla, but it will have to be mowed into said, adding Turkey and Qatar have construction sector. Some 119 compa- 2022 World Cup. formally a place where dates were depending on what is being tested. a pattern approved by football’s gov- common goals and objectives, so when nies have bagged QR15bn projects.” Different turfs are being grown at grown and locals brought their ani- They are examined not only for erning body, FIFA, for the tournament. both sides sit together “we work as a research and development centre to mals to drink at freshwater wells. how they survive the weather — even one heart and one mind”. → See also page 2 find the best playing surface for the Now it is a high-tech testing centre, though the 2022 World Cup is to be → Picture on page 2 Israel cement ban Emir Cup: Al Sailiya win halts aid to 1,370 60 die in air raids on Aleppo Gaza families AP killing at least 20 while state media escalating bloodshed with dread, reported that at least 1,000 mortars fearing that Aleppo is likely to be the and rockets were fired at government- focus of the next, more vicious phase AFP held areas of Aleppo, killing at least of the war. BEIRUT: A wave of air strikes and 14 civilians. Rebel commanders said govern- shelling killed over 60 people in less Chief Syrian opposition negotiator ment forces have been mobilising than 24 hours in the northern Syrian Mohammed Alloush blamed the gov- soldiers, equipment and ammunition JERUSALEM: Reconstruction aid city of Aleppo, monitors and activists ernment of President Bashar Al Assad in preparation for a military action to over 1,370 families in Gaza has said yesterday. for the violence. He said it shows “the in Aleppo. been suspended due to a lack of The contested city is one of the environment is not conducive to any The well-known Al Quds field hos- materials, the United Nations said main battlegrounds of Syria’s dev- political action”. pital supported by MSF and ICRC and yesterday, after Israel banned the astating civil war, with a ceasefire He denounced the intensive located in the rebel-held district of private import of cement after some that has collapsed and peace talks bombing as an attempt by Assad’s Sukkari was hit and six staff and three supplies were allegedly diverted. in Geneva stalled. government to drive the residents of children were among the dead. The ban has led to acute short- At least 27 people died as a hos- Aleppo out, labelling it “a crime of eth- The Syrian Civil Defence, a vol- ages that have brought much of the pital supported by Doctors Without nic and sectarian cleansing”. unteer first-responders agency whose reconstruction to a halt, the UN said. Borders and International Committee About 200 civilians have been members went to the scene of the “Organisations providing for the Red Cross and nearby buildings killed in the past week in Syria, nearly attack, put the death toll at 30 and assistance have had to suspend were hit overnight in the rebel-held half of them around Aleppo. There said the dead included six hospital cash assistance for house repairs part of Aleppo.