BUSINESSBUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Khoukhi brace gives Sadd crucial victory Qatar and EU looking to enhance trade ties over Ahli published in QATAR since 1978 TUESDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 10812 May 8, 2018 Sha’baan 22, 1439 AH GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Qatar ‘used In brief embargo to QATAR | Diplomacy Amir receives message from President of Benin His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has received reshape its a written message from Benin President Patrice Talon, pertaining to bilateral relations and means of boosting them. The message was received by HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for economy’ Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the off icial bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, during reception ceremony at the Amiri Diwan yesterday. his meeting in Doha yesterday with O Reforms to make Qatar Benin’s Minister of Foreign Aff airs and Regional Co-operation Aurelien an open hub for the region Agbenonci. O Qatar’s growth rates continue to outstrip QATAR | Advisory Council Qatar, Zimbabwe explore neighbours Draft law on investment of non-Qatari capital okayed atar has weathered the trade The Advisory Council held yesterday ways to expand trade ties and travel embargo launched its weekly session chaired by HE Qby four neighbours almost a Speaker of the Advisory Council year ago, and is accelerating economic Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid QNA friendship and co-operation ties be- A memorandum of understanding was reforms to boost investment, HE the al-Mahmoud. After discussing the Doha tween the two countries in the diff er- signed between civil aviation authori- Finance Minister Ali Sherif al-Emadi report of the Financial and Economic ent fi elds. ties in Qatar and Zimbabwe on June 5, has said. Aff airs Committee on a draft law The visit of President Mnangagwa, 2007, while an air services agreement The region was thrown into turmoil regulating the investment of non- atar and Zimbabwe are taking who came to power in November, re- was signed on October 19, 2015. in June when a group of countries led Qatari capital in economic activity, their bilateral ties and pros- fl ects an offi cial interest from Zimba- Expatriates from Zimbabwe cur- by Saudi Arabia closed off Qatar’s ac- the council approved it and decided Qpects of co-operation to new bwe to develop co-operation and rela- rently work in several sectors in Qatar. cess to their ports and airspace, claim- HE the Finance Minister Ali Sherif to forward its recommendations to heights, particularly in the fi elds of in- tions with Qatar on all fronts. Zimbabwe is known for its agricultural ing Doha supported terrorism. Inter- al-Emadi the cabinet. The draft law is aimed vestment and agriculture. Both countries share several stances and animal wealth and its main exports national and regional attempts to solve at attracting non-Qatari capital to His Highness the Amir Sheikh and ambitions as they support the are cotton, tobacco, platinum, gold, the dispute between US allies have Qatar has fostered domestic dairy invest in the country to promote Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Zim- principles of international peace; the ferroalloys, textiles and clothing. been unsuccessful. Qatar has strongly and meat production as well as relying economic development. Page 3 babwe President Emmerson Mnan- right of peoples to liberation and self- The importance of small- and denied the allegations. on Turkey, Iran and Oman to open new gagwa held yesterday a session of of- determination; the need to settle dis- medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is supply routes for food and construc- ARAB WORLD | Aid fi cial talks at the Amiri Diwan. putes through dialogue, negotiations highlighted in Zimbabwe’s economic “The blockade made us tion supplies, most of which used to They witnessed the signing of an and peaceful manners; and the rejec- sector by adding $8.58bn to the coun- look into ease-of-doing- come overland from Saudi Arabia and Qatar grants QR50mn agreement on economic, trade and tion of interference in internal aff airs try’s GDP in 2016 and provided 5.9mn business regulations, so we via ports in Dubai. to Gaza for Ramadan technical co-operation between the of other countries. jobs for citizens, equivalent to three- accelerated those reforms. It has also opened its borders by of- Chairman of the Qatari Committee governments Qatar and Zimbabwe. A As for the Gulf crisis, Zimba- quarters of the workforce. Now we look at Qatar as an fering visa waiver to nationals of 80 for the Reconstruction of Gaza, number of ministers were present. bwe adopts the African Union’s (AU) About 2% of these projects turn into open hub for the region,” HE countries, boosting tourism and wid- ambassador Mohamed al-Emadi, The visit of Mnangagwa to Doha is stance that calls for resolving the cri- large companies in the light of their al-Emadi said ening the pool of expatriate labour. It announced an urgent Qatari described as signifi cant, especially with sis through dialogue and mediation success and profi ts that help them launched its fi rst bond since the em- grant of about $14mn (QR50mn) the Qatari move towards expanding among its parties. Former President of grow, and they start using SMEs in “The fi rst few weeks of the block- bargo, raising $12bn from an order book to Gaza Strip on the occasion of prospects of co-operation with the fra- AU, Alpha Conde, had called on Afri- some of their businesses, in what is ade were most diffi cult, but today the of $53bn. the holy month of Ramadan. In a ternal and friendly countries in the dif- can countries to adopt a united stance known as the outsourcing policy. economy has stabilised. Our growth The quartet launched their embargo press statement before leaving ferent political, economic and invest- towards the Gulf crisis and urged, dur- Because of this success, all com- rates are good,” the minister told the just as Qatar was gearing up a massive Gaza yesterday, al-Emadi said ment fi elds of mutual co-operation. ing the opening of the African summit mercial banks in Zimbabwe have es- London-based Financial Times in an $200bn infrastructure transformation the grant will target the areas of The visit allows for discussing the in Addis Ababa, a peaceful settlement tablished special departments to serve interview. plan to ready itself for hosting the 2022 education, health, housing and current developments and issues at for the crisis. SMEs, which proved to be success- Qatar, he said, had used the em- FIFA World Cup. the humanitarian needs of the the regional and international levels, Relations between Qatar and Zim- ful despite the fact that loans to these bargo imposed by Saudi Arabia, the As the oil price slump hampered population in Gaza. He added that and the economic, social and develop- babwe date back to the early ’90s. Dip- projects do not exceed 4% of the total United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and business confi dence in oil producing Qatar seeks to meet the shortfall in ment challenges facing some African lomatic ties at the level of non-resident loans of banks operating in the coun- Egypt as an opportunity to reshape its countries, Qatar’s non-oil GDP growth the salaries of Palestinian Authority countries, in addition to enhancing ambassadors started on June 11, 1998. try. Page 24 economy. softened to 4% from 5.6% in the previ- and Hamas employees and make International investors into most of ous year, according to the International every eff ort possible in this regard. the Gulf countries have traditionally Monetary Fund, well below the previ- been allowed to operate only within ous historical average of 12.6%. REGION | Politics special zones, the Financial Times said, But Qatar’s growth rates have con- adding this is aimed at protecting do- tinued to outstrip its neighbours, said Trump decision on Iran HMC to launch 20 ICU ambulances soon mestic investors, many of whom have HE al- Emadi, who is targeting GDP nuclear deal today resisted eff orts to boost foreign invest- growth of close to 3% this year. “Lots US President Donald Trump said By Joseph Varghese opened across the country. In this ment by opening up their economies to of work has been done behind this and he would announce a decision Staff Reporter scenario, we need more inter-facility competition. the economy is in a healthy condition,” on the future of the Iran nuclear ambulances,” he explained on the Following the blockade, Qatar de- he said. deal today as European countries sidelines of the relaunch of the ‘Know cided to open up its real-estate sector As fi scal pressures ease with rising piled pressure on Washington to amad Medical Corporation’s the 5 to save a life’ national aware- to foreigner investors. Another change crude markets, the Qatar Investment remain in the 2015 agreement. (HMC) Ambulance Service ness campaign. “They are called ICU is expected that would allow overseas Authority — which invests hydrocar- Trump has threatened to withdraw Hwill soon launch 20 new ICU ambulances because the patients are investors to take full ownership of bon surpluses — will pick up the pace of from the deal, which provided ambulances to transport patients be- treated with extreme care as in the companies without the need to work its global investments, he added. Qatar Iran with relief from economic tween its facilities across the country. case of a medical intensive care unit. with a local partner.