3rd Best News Website in the Middle East BUSINESS | 11 SPORT | 19 Apple CEO says Nadal pushes perfect he disagrees streak to 15 against with Trump Gasquet in Cincinnati Friday 18 August 2017 | 26 Dhul-Qa’Da 1438 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Volume 22 | Number 7257 | 2 Riyals Pilgrimage still Emir sends message to politicised: British PM QNA Foreign Minister mir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has Esent a written message Agencies “Regardless of the manner to British Prime Minister in which Qataris were banned Theresa May, pertaining to oreign Minister H E from the pilgrimage, which bilateral relations and means Sheikh Mohamed bin was politicised, and the man- to promote these relations in Abdulrahman Al ner in which they were again addition to the latest regional Thani yesterday met permitted to make the pilgrim- and international develop- the Foreign Minister age, which was also politicised ments, particularly the Gulf Fof Sweden, Margot ... the government of Qatar crisis. Wallstrom. welcomes the decision and will Foreign Minister H E Both sides reviewed rela- respond positively,” Sheikh Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdul- tions between Qatar and Mohammed said at a press rahman Al Thani handed the Sweden, ways of boosting and conference yesterday with his message during a meeting developing them, as well as Swedish counterpart in with May at 10 Downing developments in the region. Stockholm. Street yesterday. The Qatari Foreign Minis- The Minister stressed ter briefed his Swedish Qatar’s commitment to resolv- Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani with his Swedish counterpart counterpart on all illegal meas- ing the Gulf crisis Margot Wallstrom, yesterday. ures taken by the siege diplomatically and through the countries against Qatar, which mediation of the fraternal State Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al them, particularly in the fields law and international treaties and Awqaf hails resulted in severing of family of Kuwait, and through mutual Thani yesterday also met Tobias of economy and tourism. conventions by the siege ties, impeding access to prop- dialogue in the light of respect Billstrom, First Deputy Speaker H E the Foreign Minister countries. Saudi move on erty, as well as the issue of Haj for international law, sover- of the Swedish Parliament. briefed the Swedish Deputy The Foreign Minister also and Umrah, which witnessed eignty and without The meeting reviewed bilat- Speaker on all the illegal meas- thanked the Swedish side for its Qatar pilgrims difficulties during the recent dictations. eral relations and means of ures and violations of balanced stance that calls for dia- period. Foreign Minister H E Sheikh enhancing and developing international law, humanitarian logue and no escalation. QNA inistry of Endow- ments and Islamic NHRC welcomes MAffairs (Awqaf) wel- Muraikhi: There is no winner in the Gulf crisis comed the decision of the ‘unclear’ Saudi Kingdom of Saudi Arabia allowing Qatari pilgrims to decision Sofia pointing to the strong relations enter its territory through the QNA The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs highlighted between Qatar and these coun- Salwa Border Crossing to per- the importance of the Balkan countries, as he visited tries, especially that they have form the pilgrimage rituals. QNA inister of State for For- shown a positive sentiment An official source at the eign Affairs H E Sultan Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Romania, pointing towards the Gulf crisis without Ministry of Endowments and he National Human Mbin Saad Al Muraikhi to the strong relations between Qatar and these any pressure from Doha. Islamic Affairs said yesterday Rights Committee stressed that there is no winner countries, especially that they have shown a positive Al Muraikhi stressed that he that the Saudi decision that T(NHRC) welcomed the in the Gulf crisis because it is a was in Africa and saw countries allows Qataris to enter through decision of the Saudi author- problem affecting people, fam- sentiment towards the Gulf crisis without any under pressure from the siege the border crossing is a good ities to allow all Qatari ilies and tribal relations, as well countries. “These countries stip- step towards reducing the ten- pilgrims to enter Saudi Ara- as international relations. pressure from Doha. ulated that projects and financial sion, stressing the importance bia through Salwa border In an interview with the Bul- aid should be suspended if they of not involving the rituals in crossing without electronic garian newspaper 24 hours, H E violated any agreement with Muraikhi stressed that people did not sever their relations with political differences. The permits, as a step towards Al Muraikhi said that the contin- another country, even with the cannot be prevented from com- Qatar. Fortunately, many coun- source expressed the Ministry’s removing obstacles and dif- uation of the situation will affect siege countries. We are supply- municating with each other, not tries rejected such treatment, appreciation to the National ficulties faced by the the entire world, not just the ing these countries with gas, and by shutting down a television or and said that no one can influ- Human Rights Committee pilgrims. region, the Gulf region is con- we are still doing so as a commit- other channel. With smartphones ence them, because the right (NHRC) and its efforts in com- In a statement issued yes- sidered an energy centre, ment to agreements”. “We have people can keep up with events. path is to sit at the negotiation municating with international terday, NHRC said the Saudi everything that happens affects not stopped supplies because we “Our country may be small, but table, he said. organisations to ensure that decision — as has been everyone, the crisis happened have commitments to the inter- our people are civilised,” he said. The Minister appreciated the Qatar’s citizens and residents reported by Saudi media - “is suddenly and no one knows national economy and business, The Minister of State for For- position of Eastern European are not prevented from per- a step towards removing when and how it will end. and now every country knows eign Affairs highlighted the and Balkan countries, noting that forming Haj and to overcome obstacles and difficulties “We are not going to back that as long as it has an agree- importance of the Balkan coun- Qatar after June 2017, is no the difficulties facing their faced by the pilgrims and down, politics is politics and busi- ment with us, it can trust us, and tries, as he visited Macedonia, longer the same. arrival at the Holy sites. facilitating Haj procedures ness is business, Qatar has never it is in our interest,” he added. Al Serbia, Croatia and Romania, → Continued on page 2 → Continued on page 2 this year”. Since the beginning of the siege, the statement said, NHRC “has called for facili- tating Haj procedures for Qatar reserves help fend off raw materials shortage citizens and residents of the State of Qatar without restrictions, and also called Mohammad Shoeb by several government agencies Hammadi, CEO of Qatar Primary Oman, India, Pakistan and Iran. expert, who did not wish to be for regional and interna- The Peninsula that the country maintains a Material Company, reconfirmed People were concerned that named. tional moves to end the strategic reserve of construction to the The Peninsula over phone real estate projects are not start- In July this year, the com- injustice and not to politicise atar’s strategic reserves materials for at least a year, a yesterday. ing due to lack of availability of bined value of real estate deals the Haj or use it as a lever- and planning have enabled section of international media Al Hammadi added: “Even construction materials at reason- touched QR1.8bn, showing a age against people or Qongoing infrastructure could not resist expressing its the President of Ashghal (Public able prices. But market analysts sharp growth of 50 percent com- governments.” development and real estate apprehensions and reported that Works Authority — Dr Saad refute these arguments, suggest- pared to QR1.2bn in the same NHRC added that Haj can’t projects tide over interruption the abrupt disruption in supplies, Ahmed Ibrahim Al Mohannadi) ing that the lull in the real estate month last year. Some 215 trans- be “subject to any political or in supply of some construction due to the siege, may adversely confirmed the same recently at market was because of Ramadan actions were implemented in personal mediations or materials from UAE and Saudi impact the progress of mega a meeting organised by and summer holidays, which is July, according to Ezdan Hold- scores,” but rather should be Arabia. infrastructure projects and cause Kahramaa.” normal in the GCC, including in ing’s monthly report. “an inherent right stipulated Although Qatar is more than delays. However, statements The chief executive of QPMC, Qatar. The report said that during in all international human self-sufficient in steel and from authorities concerned and a state-backed company which “The real estate market is the first week of July, the value rights agreements and con- cement production, it used to latest official data tell a different is responsible for ensuring sup- booming. If you compare the of transactions amounted to ventions and Islamic Shariah.” source some primary materials story, proving what they said plies of quality building materials value of the real estate transac- QR539.7m out of the 48 trans- The committee, however, said such as gabbro, washed sand and wrong. in adequate quantities to the tions in July with the same actions. And land has the decision of the Saudi others from neighbouring states. “There is no shortage of any local market, said that QPMC has month last year, the market has outperformed prefabricated authorities remains “unclear,” They were traditionally shipped material in the market.