BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Qatar win thrilling penalty INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2-11, 28 COMMENT 26, 27 shootout REGION 12 BUSINESS 1-7, 12-16 QFC aims to triple FDI 23,555.17 7,856.24 57.79 ARAB WORLD 12 CLASSIFIED 8-11 -2.06 -74.54 +0.59 INTERNATIONAL 13-25 SPORTS 1-8 fl ows to over QR200bn to qualify -0.01% -0.94% +1.03% Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978 THURSDAY Vol. XXXVIII No. 10632 November 9, 2017 Safar 20, 1439 AH GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Emir meets Iraqi foreign minister UN clears In brief QATAR | Offi cial Emir sends cables of Qatar in condolences to Saudi His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, His Highness the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin expatriate Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani sent cables of condolences to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence Prince Mohamed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, Prince workers’ Muqrin bin Abdulaziz al-Saud on the death of Prince Mansour bin Muqrin bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and off icials who died in a tragic accident, praying to Allah Almighty to bestow his mercy upon them and rest their souls in His Paradise and to give patience and solace to their inquiry families. QATAR | Religion zILO, ITUC welcome Doha’s commitment Emir to perform to bolster worker rights Istisqa prayer His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Agencies They included a sweeping new pro- Hamad al-Thani called yesterday for the Geneva/Doha gramme to upgrade workers’ housing performance of Istisqa (rain-seeking) by creating modern accommodations , prayer today. The prayer is performed His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met at the Emiri Diwan yesterday with Iraqi Foreign Minister Dr Ibrahim increased healthcare facilities with the in line with the Sunnah of Prophet al-Jaafari and his accompanying delegation. The meeting reviewed the bilateral relations and ways to boost them. The Emir he UN’s labour agency yesterday construction of three modern hospitals Muhammad (peace be upon him) when confirmed Qatar’s keenness on the unity of Iraq. The meeting also discussed a number of topics of interest to both countries, closed a probe into the alleged and four new health centres , a new la- rainfall is lacking. The Emir will perform especially the developments of the region. Tmistreatment of foreign workers bour contract system and a Wage Pro- Istisqa prayer at Al Wajbah prayer area in Qatar, praising a reform plan agreed tection System. along with citizens. by the country. “Qatar’s 2030 vision recognised the Activists and leading international need to improve the living and working QATAR | Conference labour unions had accused Qatar of conditions of its migrant labour force mistreating its expatriate workers well before contractors broke ground Focus on policing and on jobs that included infrastructure on World Cup sites,” the GCO state- security at sport events FM blames siege nations projects for FIFA’s top tournament. ment added. A host of papers were presented by The International Labour Organi- The International Trade Union Con- policing and security experts, based on sation (ILO) had opened in 2014 an federation (ITUC), which co-authored their real experiences, on the second inquiry into whether Qatar had vio- the 2014 complaint to the ILO, also day of the 1st Major Event Safety and lated its obligations under conventions backed yesterday’s decision. Security Conference yesterday. Former for undermining GCC aimed at preventing forced labour. “Qatar has set a new standard for the head of the Safety and Security of Euro Qatar has since agreed to changes Gulf states, and this must be followed 2016, Ziad Khoury, focused mainly on that include the introduction of a min- by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab planning delivery of safety and security QNA imum wage, contracts being lodged Emirates where millions of migrant and precautions to be taken in advance Doha with the government so they cannot workers are trapped in modern slavery,” for a major sport event. Page 2 be changed on arrival in Qatar, and ITUC general secretary Sharan Burrow employers no longer being able to stop said in a statement. QATAR | GCC crisis E the Foreign Minister Sheikh staff from leaving the country. In February 2015, Qatar introduced Conspiracy against Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al- “The transformation of this com- a Wage Protection System designed to HThani blamed the siege coun- plaint into a real commitment by the ensure workers receive their salaries Qatar: al-Muraikhi tries for the dissolution of the GCC as a government of Qatar to make positive electronically, either fortnightly or HE the Minister of State for Foreign Aff airs collective security system. change on the ground for all workers is monthly. Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi yesterday In a joint press conference held in a very encouraging development,” Luc And in December it announced the said that the GCC crisis showed there Doha yesterday with his Iraqi counter- Cortebeeck, chairman of the ILO gov- end of the “kafala” system, under was a conspiracy against the modern part Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the foreign min- erning body, said in a statement. which all foreign workers needed a lo- state model Qatar is following and ister said the siege countries refuse to “Around 2mn workers in all kinds of cal sponsor in order to work, main- worked for since the 1990s. He stressed start a dialogue after it failed in proving sectors will now enjoy better protec- tain residency, switch jobs or leave the that Qatari diplomacy is dealing with an its accusations against Qatar. HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and his Iraqi tion, including a dispute settlement country. unprecedented crisis in the history of the The siege countries continue their counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari addressing a joint press conference in Doha yesterday. system, also accessible for the domes- The ILO’s stamp of approval marks a GCC and the region. Page 10 unfair and illegal actions aff ecting the tic workers,” Cortebeeck told reporters. victory for Qatar, analysts said. system of the GCC and Qatar holds ses have been impacted with this crisis prudent approach that relies on dialogue Qatar welcomed the decision and Qatar’s Labour Minister HE Issa BRITAIN | Politics them responsible for the dissolution of which put the siege countries in trouble to settle the crisis, but to bypass Qatar called it “an acknowledgement of the Saad al-Jafali al-Nuaimi told the ILO the GCC as a collective security system. with international diplomacy due to by minimising it, ignoring it by media, important steps the government has forum yesterday the government was Aid minister Patel quits He revealed that the siege countries’ their stubborn behaviour, refusal for di- using hidden and twisted ways and not taken to develop a modern labour sys- working to achieve decent work condi- over Israeli meetings attempts to undermine the Gulf crisis alogue and their commitment to politi- working on solving it is ineff ective. tem and said it was “grateful” to the tions for domestic and migrant workers British aid minister Priti Patel was forced has failed. cal extremism and escalatory language He added that Qatar is overcoming migrant workers building the country’s and had established committees on la- from off ice yesterday over undisclosed The failure refl ected the siege coun- which they continue to adopt. the crisis but is not overcoming the vio- infrastructure. bour disputes. meetings with Israeli off icials after tries’ inability to see the serious reper- He said Qatar adopts a language of lations against the Qatari people, saying Qatar’s Government Communica- “Qatar will remain mindful (about) Prime Minister Theresa May sought cussions that are beginning to surface, reason and calls on all to resort to dia- if their people are not of importance to tions Offi ce (GCO) said in a statement: guaranteeing all rights of workers,” he to reassert her diminished authority he added. logue and to prove that their fears are them, the Qatari people are of great im- “The government will continue im- said, adding Doha was committed to a as she negotiates Brexit. Patel, a Brexit This was especially clear given the based on solid foundation, confi rming portance to their government. proving their living and working con- three-year programme of technical co- campaigner who is popular in the ruling major developments in the region which their failure to invest political money to On the latest Bahraini statements, HE ditions in the years ahead, as Qatar operation with the ILO. Conservative Party, had to abandon a showed the crisis led to a lack of collec- demonise Qatar. the foreign minister said they are inef- pursues our goal of setting the highest The ILO said in a statement the tech- trip to Africa earlier yesterday after being tive security for the Gulf states. The foreign minister said Qatar hopes fective because Bahrain’s decisions were standard for worker’s rights and human nical co-operation would “support the summoned by May to answer questions The foreign minister said the inter- that wisdom will prevail and that the not made by it as everyone knows and rights in the region.” implementation of numerous measures on more unsanctioned meetings that national eff orts to fi ght terrorism and siege countries will overcome their ag- it joined the siege despite not being in- The GCO listed an array of steps tak- adopted by the Government of Qatar”.