BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 7 Al Rayyan gun for the fourth title Qatar industrial output up 2% y-o-y in February published in QATAR since 1978 FRIDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 10794 April 20, 2018 Sha’baan 4, 1439 AH GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals PM meets award-winning Qatari innovators In brief QATAR | Greetings Emir congratulates new Ethiopian PM His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday held a telephone conversation with Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed. At the beginning of the call, the Emir HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani yesterday met with the Qatari innovators who were awarded gold and silver medals at the International Exhibition of congratulated Ahmed on the occasion Innovations Geneva held recently. The prime minister praised the eff orts of the Qatari inventors and their achievement in the international scientific forum, which brought together inventors from around the world. He of assuming his duties, and wished wished them success and further scientific achievements to bring more glory to Qatar in regional and international forums, adding that the winning inventions contribute to improving the quality of life and achieving him success. Talks during the call also further economic and social well-being. The prime minister highlighted the attention the state pays to innovators in diff erent fields and encouraged them to promote the country’s direction towards a knowledge-based dealt with ways to boost the friendly economy. The inventors from the Qatar Scientific Club were awarded six medals – four gold and two silver – in a strong competition with 600 inventors from 40 countries around the world. relations and co-operation between the two countries, in addition to a number of issues of mutual interest. QATAR | Offi cial Emir condoles with Economic ruler of Kuwait His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim roadshow bin Hamad al-Thani, His Highness Qatar’s private sector the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime starts today Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani yesterday sent cables of in N Carolina condolences to the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al- credit growth ‘to rise’ QNA Sabah on the death of Sheikh Fadel Raleigh Duaij al-Salman al-Sabah. zOpportunities are being created in the consumer goods sector, say bankers QATAR | Diplomacy two-day exhibition will begin Defence minister gets By Tom Arnold and Davide Egypt in June and the subsequent scal- as the market share shrinks of suppliers QR29bn of contracts to support growth today in Raleigh, North Caroli- Barbuscia/ Reuters ing back of some companies and in- like Saudi Arabia’s Almarai, the Middle in the private sector next year, part of A na, as part of Qatar’s ‘economic call from UK counterpart Doha vestments from those countries is cre- East’s biggest dairy company, because a drive to diversify and strengthen the roadshow’ in the US. HE the Deputy Prime Minister and ating a vacuum gradually being fi lled, of the embargo. economy. The exhibition will bring together Minister of State for Defence Aff airs in part, by Qatar’s private sector. One company fi lling the vacuum is So far, the pick-up in private sector representatives from major institu- Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah atari banks expect private sec- QNB is targeting the private sector Baladna, which is creating a dairy in- growth is far less steep than the period tions in Qatar, including the Ministry yesterday received a telephone call tor credit growth in the coun- to contribute around 50% of lending dustry in the country and is planning up to mid-2015 when it reached highs of Economy and Commerce, Supreme from British Defence Secretary Gavin Qtry to pick up speed in 2018 as growth in 2018, up from 22.5% in 2017, an initial public off ering in the fi rst half of around 27%. Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Williamson. During the phone call, companies borrow and invest to ex- said a spokesman for QNB, the largest of 2018. It since slowed but has shown signs Qatar Airways, Doha Film Institute they exchanged views on further pand their business, taking advantage bank in the Middle East and Africa by Other sectors where higher demand of recovery in recent months, despite and Qatar Foundation along with a development of bilateral relations of opportunities created by a regional assets and the lender that has benefi ted is anticipated include manufactur- the impact of the boycott. number of US companies that have between the defence ministries of the political impasse. most from huge government spending ing and hospitality, while investment “The previous tightening of fi nancial partnered in investment projects with two friendly countries and means of The government and state-linked in recent years. is expected in the LNG sector due to a conditions between mid-2014 to mid- Qatar, such as Occidental Petroleum, enhancing them. companies have long been the mainstay “Looking ahead to 2018 and beyond, sharper rebound in hydrocarbon out- 2016, when hydrocarbon prices precip- Boeing, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhil- of credit growth and will continue to the projected growth of the private sec- put itously declined, does not seem to have lips. QATAR | Impact be, especially as Qatar prepares to host tor will present several opportunities The government has embarked on a harmed private sector lending post- This is the third such exhibition to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. for the bank to fi nance the expansion of strategy of making the economy self- impasse from June 2017 onwards,” said take place during the US tour, with the Iran quake tremors But a political rift that erupted be- business,” said Commercial Bank. suffi cient to help weather the eff ects of Ehsan Khoman, Mena head of research previous editions being held in Miami, felt in West Bay tween Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the Bankers say opportunities are being the boycott. and strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Finan- Florida and Charleston, South Caro- Tremors were felt in Doha’s West Bay United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and created in the consumer goods sector This year’s budget includes awarding cial Group. lina. Page 3 area after an earthquake measuring 5.9 struck the Iranian province of Bushehr yesterday morning. The Qatar Qatar to buy US Air Defence System Meteorology Department, part of the Civil Aviation Authority, confirmed this in an Arabic tweet, which said the “tremors felt by people in the Towers Qatar Airways fi rst to off er Zone of Dafna were due to the seismic waves caused by the earthquake of Iran”. Many Doha residents also discussed the tremors on social media. There was no immediate report of gate-to-gate Internet in Mena damage or injuries in Iran. atar Airways is the fi rst airline in sengers on board and helping them stay use of mobile GSM services and SMS ARAB WORLD | Decision the Middle East and North Africa connected throughout the fl ight.” when the aircraft is below 3,000m. Qregion (Mena) to provide gate- Approval by the CRA means that While on board, passengers can con- Sudan’s president to-gate Internet connectivity onboard. Qatar will be the fi rst country in the tinue to enjoy Qatar Airways’ in-fl ight sacks foreign minister A decision by Qatar’s Communica- Middle East and North Africa region to entertainment system, Oryx One, which Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has tions Regulatory Authority (CRA) will provide gate-to-gate Internet connec- off ers passengers up to 4,000 entertain- issued a presidential decree relieving allow the provision of Internet service tivity onboard aircraft. It also refl ects ment options from the latest blockbust- Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour of onboard aircraft at all altitudes. Previ- CRA’s alignment with Qatar’s high rate er movies, TV box sets, music, games his position, state news agency Suna ously, the Internet connection was only of technology adoption across vari- and much more. reported yesterday. The news agency permitted when an aircraft was higher ous sectors, particularly those aff ecting Passengers fl ying on Qatar Airways did not provide any further details. than 3,000m above sea level. transport and communication that are fl ights served by its B777, B787, A350, Qatar Airways Group Chief Execu- strategic to Qatar’s future development A380, and select A320 and A330 aircraft AFRICA | Protests tive Akbar al-Baker said: “In another and economic growth. can also stay in touch with their friends fi rst for the Mena region, Qatar Airways Improvements in technology and de- and family around the world by us- Ramaphosa cuts passengers will be able to enjoy uninter- velopments in global technical stand- ing the “award-winning” airline’s on- short Britain trip rupted Internet connectivity from the ards now ensure that on board Internet board Wi-Fi service. South Africa’s President Cyril moment they step on board a Qatar Air- service does not cause harmful inter- Qatar Airways operates a modern The Qatar armed forces signed an agreement to purchase air defence system from Ramaphosa has cut short his visit to ways fl ight. This is another signifi cant ference to either aircraft operations or fl eet of more than 200 aircraft to a net- US firm Raytheon at the headquarters of the Qatari military attache in Washington Britain by a day to return home to enhancement to our award-winning land-based public mobile networks. work of more than 150 key business and DC. The agreement was signed by Commander of the Emiri Air Defence Forces, deal with protests in the country’s levels of service that our passengers However, to avoid any interference to leisure destinations across Europe, the Brigadier General Hamad bin Mubarak al-Douai, and Raytheon Chairman and Chief North West province, his off ice said around the globe have come to appreci- aircraft and land-based mobile services, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacifi c, North Executive Off icer Dr Tom Kennedy.