A key US air base in the Middle East could become permanent

Qatar's Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohammad al-Attiyah announced during a visit to Washington, DC on Sunday that his country will expand the American Al Udeid Air Base.

The expansion will add more than 200 new housing units for officers and their families.

"It will very soon become a family-oriented place for our American friends there. We want more of the families to be stable and feel more comfortable in their stay," al-Attiyah said at an event at the Heritage Foundation.
Al-Attiyah praised the US-Qatar relationship, saying that the Qatari Military has learned much from their American partners. He also said that Qatar is interested in making the Al Udeid base permanent.

"Colleagues in the US Department of Defense are reluctant to mention the word permanent, but we are working from our side to make it permanent," Al-Attiyah said.

The Qatari defense minister repeated the plans to make Al Udeid a permanent US base during a meeting on Tuesday with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis.

The base currently houses around 10,000 US military personnel, and has been essential for air operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.

Qatar and the US signed a military cooperation agreement after Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The Al Udeid Air Base was built in 1996, and the US military moved its operations there in 2003, shortly after the invasion of Iraq.

The base is now the home of the US Air Force Central Command, and has proven essential for American air operations in the region.
"Qatar is strategically placed. Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria - these are all hotspots in the region. I am not exaggerating when I say 80% of aerial refueling in the region is from Udeid," al-Attiyah said. "We're the ones that keep your birds flying."

Military personnel from the UK and other allies are also stationed at Al Udeid.

The expansion comes at a diplomatically tough time for Qatar. Last June, Egypt, Bahrain, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia instituted an economic and political embargo on Qatar, cutting off all diplomatic relations. The countries claim that Qatar supports terrorism and is destablizing the region.

The embargo has not had the desired affect so far. Qatar has managed to deepen ties with the US as well as other countries like Turkey, Oman, and Iran, allowing it to circumvent the blockade in certain ways.

Qatar welcomes head of Zionist Organization of America

US Defense Secretary James Mattis meets with the emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the Sea Palace in Doha, Qatar, 22 April 2017. (Brigitte N. Brantley)

Morton Klein, the President of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) visited Doha earlier this month at the invite of Qatar’s leader.

News of the trip comes as Qatar’s foreign minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Thursday that Doha welcomes such visits and has a “strong alliance” with the US and the Trump administration.

Klein said he used the opportunity of the visit to tell Qatar’s emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani that his “speech on Jerusalem before the United Nations was wrong” and that “Jerusalem has been a Jewish city for thousands of years,” assuring The Jerusalem Post that he was “tough, very tough” with the emir.

The emir “listened” as Klein criticized Qatari leaders for “anti-Israel speeches” and their stance on Jerusalem, The Jerusalem Post reported. The visit comes amid a public relations campaign by Qatar to salvage itself from regional isolation by reaching out to right-wing Americans and staunch supporters of Israel.

Klein also told the emir that the Arab Peace Initiative, which Doha supports, “would be a total disaster.” But the emir said they’d have to disagree on this issue, according to Klein, citing the support for the proposal by some Israelis, including Shimon Peres, a former Israeli president, architect of the Oslo process and champion of illegal Israeli settlements in occupied territory.

Klein said he was asked to speak to members of US Congress, but said he wouldn’t until he sees change.

Klein met a number of government officials during his visit, he said, and some told him that if the US asked Doha to expel Hamas members from the emirate, they would “throw them out in a minute.”

They also stressed that they no longer provide funds for the Muslim Brotherhood in hopes of being “part of the civilized world,” according to Klein.

“Everyone is already going”

In an apparent attempt to escape its regional isolation, Qatar hired a Washington lobbying firm to arrange meetings with major American Jewish groups for the emir while he was in the US for the annual United Nations General Assembly last September.

Klein told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that Qatar invited him to visit every month since then, but he refused every time because of the Gulf state’s “support for Hamas and the anti-Semitism being broadcast on Al Jazeera television.”

He said he changed his mind when he saw other influential American Jewish individuals visiting, realizing that “they won’t be able to to use me for propaganda because everyone is already going, but I might use the visit to push them on these issues.”

The Qatari government has been sponsoring numerous trips for right-wing American Zionists.

These include Israel apologist and Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz, Christian Zionist and former governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee, conservative radio host and Israel supporter John Batchelor, former Republican congressman Thaddeus McCotter, CEO of the Orthodox Union Kosher Division Rabbi Menachem Genack, the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish organizations Malcolm Hoenlein, president of the American Jewish Congress Jack Rosen and the president of the Religious Zionists of America Martin Oliner.

Most of these trips were paid for by the Qatari government.

Documentary release still pending

When asked about those visits, Qatar’s foreign minister told Haaretz that “all of them are welcome and we are building good relations with them.”

He also talked about concerns regarding Al Jazeera – the Qatari broadcaster – and its coverage of Israel.

“There were some complaints filed against Al Jazeera in the United Kingdom,” Sheikh Mohammad told Haaretz, referring to an investigative documentary exposing the extent of the Israel lobby’s influence on the UK government and Labour party.

The complaints were all rejected by the UK’s broadcasting regulator in October, he noted.

Al Jazeera has produced a similar investigation into the pro-Israel lobby in the US, but initially said it held up on broadcasting pending the UK complaints process.

That the documentary still hasn’t aired has prompted some to speculate that politics is interfering, specifically Qatar’s push to burnish its image in the US and Israel.

Israel rejects Qatar’s efforts

Dershowitz, one of the Israel lobby’s most prominent US figures, wrote an article upon his return in which he reflected on numerous meetings with Qatari officials.

He suggested, among other things, that Qatari-Israeli normalization is on the horizon.

“I heard a lot of positive statements regarding Israel from Qatari leaders, as well as hints of commercial relationships between these isolated nations.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson at Israel’s embassy to the US told Haaretz that it does not support Qatar’s campaign to burnish its image through American supporters of Israel, even though Haaretz reported that some of those claimed to have received the blessing of Israeli officials.

Klein claims he spoke to Israeli officials before his trip to Doha, telling The Jerusalem Post that “one said I shouldn’t go, but others said I should.”

On 30 January, the first Inaugural US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue was held in Washington.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and US Defense Secretary James Mattis co-hosted Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Qatari defense minister Khalid bin Mohammad al-Attiyah at the event.

Mattis celebrated “excellent military-to-military relations” between the US and the emirate and both expressed their concern at the gulf crisis and isolation of Qatar.

“As the Gulf dispute nears the eight-month mark, the United States remains as concerned today as we were at its outset,” Tillerson said.

“This dispute has had direct negative consequences economically and militarily for those involved, as well as the United States.”

The US, Tillerson continued, is keen that Gulf Cooperation Council countries present a united front that “bolsters our effectiveness on many fronts,” specifically counterterrorism as well as countering Iran’s “malign influence.”

Bahrain has also reached out to Israel, while Saudi Arabia is reported to be looking to improve relations. Gulf countries appear motivated by an enmity toward Iran they share with Israel.

Doha International Family Institute Wins 2018 IFFD Family Award

The Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), has been awarded the 2018 IFFD Family Award by the board of the International Federation for Family Development (IFFD), an NGO with general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at the United Nations (UN).

The IFFD Awards are presented to persons or entities recognized for the promotion of family perspective policies during the past year and for best appreciation and promotion of family values around the world. The 2018 award was also granted to the Hungarian-based National Association of Large Families.

Ignacio Socias, Director, International Relations, IFFD, said: “DIFI has contributed to advocacy on family issues through the organization of several international conferences and through its special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, with very specific recommendations to integrate  a family perspective into national policy-making.”

H.E. Sheikha Alya Al-Thani, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN presented DIFI with the award during the IFFD Annual Briefing held at UN Headquarters in New York. Ms. Noor Al Malki Al Jehani, Executive Director, DIFI, received the award and thanked IFFD for recognising DIFI’s work and for its key role in promoting family perspective. “We are proud to receive the 2018 IFFD Family Award, which recognizes the work done by NGOs to strengthen families around the world. DIFI is committed to make families a priority for policy-makers through our advocacy and outreach at a national, regional, and international level,” Ms Al Jehani said. 

The IFFD Family Awards have been celebrated for the last six years. Previous awardees include the governments of Malta and Malaysia, and the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations. This year, the awards were presented at a special event during the 56th Commission for Social Development held at the UN Headquarters in New York on February 1.

The International Federation for Family Development is a nongovernmental, independent, and non-profit federation. Its primary mission is to support families through training.

DIFI is a global policy and advocacy institute working to advance knowledge on Arab families through research, and the promotion of evidence-based polices at a national, regional, and international level. The institute has special consultative status with the UN ECOSOC.

Egypt renames street amid Qatar row

Cairo: Egyptian authorities have changed a street named after Qatar’s ruling family amid a months-long dispute with the Gulf emirate.

Governor of Giza Kamal Al Dali said on Sunday that the name of the Street of Al Hamad Al Thani, in the district of Boulaq Al Dakrour near Cairo, has been changed to Shaikh Ebrahim Nafae — after a local Muslim cleric.

“This decision has been taken after unanimous approval from the municipal council,” Al Dali said in a press statement.

He added that local authorities had received several requests from residents in the district demanding a change in street name. “There is public anger with the state of Qatar, which is supporting terrorist groups that threaten world security and stability,” the official said.

In June, Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain broke off diplomatic and transportation links with Qatar over its supporting and funding of terrorist organisations.

The four countries have also placed on lists of terrorism dozens of people and groups associated with Qatar.

Egypt has repeatedly requested Qatar to hand over fugitive Egyptian Islamists wanted for inciting or involvement in violence in their homeland. Qatar has snubbed the Egyptian request.

Qatar is a staunch sponsor of the Muslim Brotherhood, listed in Egypt as a terrorist organisation.

HIA listed in top most beautiful airports in the world

Doha: Business Insider has listed Hamad International Airport in the 14 most beautiful airports in the world.

The American financial news website selected the top 14 airports based on architectural features and amenities.

The reputed website described Hamad International Airport as a modern art museum.  “Some parts of its interior look like a modern art museum,” the website said in its listing.

Among other airports Vancouver International Airport, Singapore Changi Airport, Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Marrakesh Menara Airport also made it to the list.

HIA is currently a candidate for the “Best Airport in the World” award by Skytrax, which also classified it as a five-star airport in 2017, making it one among only five other airports in the world to achieve this prestigious status. Earlier this year, it was ranked sixth Best Airport in the World by the 2017 Skytrax World Airport Awards, moving up four places from 2016. HIA has also won the "Best Airport in the Middle East" title for three years in a row and "Best Staff Service in the Middle East" for two years in a row.

Siege kindled spirit of entrepreneurship

DOHA: Not only did the ongoing blockade help accelerate the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), it also kindled the spirit of entrepreneurship among Qataris, an official of Qatar Development Bank (QDB) has said.

“Definitely, the blockade has its impact on the market, not just on SMEs but also on entrepreneurship. The blockade, itself, was an accelerator for understanding the importance of entrepreneurship and the private sector as along with creativity and innovation,” Hamad Mejegheer, Manager of Marketing and Communications at QDB said in response to a question from The Peninsula at a recent media event.

The increasing awareness on the indispensable role the private sector and entrepreneurship play in the Qatari market amid the current reality is evident in the rise in the number of those availing QDB’s services as well as recent figures released by Qatar Chamber which points to a 13.4 percent increase in the number of new companies registered in 2017 compared to 2016, he explained.

He cited manufacturing as one of the sectors which has seen significant growth recently.

“The manufacturing sector is doing well. There is a big growth in this sector, though we don’t have the figures yet,” he said, adding the ‘Own your Factory in Qatar in 72 Hours’ project launched after the imposition of blockade had contributed to this growth. Aimed at expediting the establishment of manufacturing units and factories in Qatar, the said project has attracted thousands of applications, majority of which were locally-based companies. “The mentality now has changed. How we see our priorities has changed. The blockade has provided us focal point for the future; that’s what the blockade did for us,” he said.

Mejegheer was speaking on the sidelines of the partnership between Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and QDB which helps provide much needed exposure to Qatari SMEs and entrepreneurs through pop-up shops set up as part of the ongoing Shop Qatar 2018 organised by QTA.

Around 30 SMEs and entrepreneurs supported by QDB are showcasing their products through the pop-up shops.

As a development bank, QDB’s main role is to help SMEs and entrepreneurs grow and one of the challenges is providing them access to the market, he added.

“By providing them space to showcase their products gives them the opportunity to enter the market which solves this challenge. This provides them the platform to test the market, understand the situation and improve their products to compete with other brands,” he said, adding that it had been life-changing for many SMEs and entrepreneurs who previously took part in pop-ups shops.

Thanking QTA for this important partnership, he said, “We appreciate their efforts. This is not the first time that we have partnered. We enjoy collaborating with such entity that has the vision and very active role in the community.”

The 30 pop-up shops, which display a wide range of products from arts and crafts to chocolates and gifts to perfumes and clothing at Mall of Qatar, are open until Wednesday.

Qatar Petroleum to acquire 25 percent stake in offshore South African block from Total

Agencies

PARIS: French oil and gas group Total has agreed to sell a 25 percent stake in the Exploration Block 11B/12B, offshore South Africa, to Qatar Petroleum, in a deal which Total said would strengthen its ties with the Qatari group.
Once the agreement receives regulatory approvals by the South African Government, Qatar Petroleum will have a 25% participating interest in the block, while Total (the Operator) will have 45%, Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNR) will hold 20%, and Main Street 1549 Proprietary Limited (Main Street) will have a 10% participating interest.Commenting on this occasion, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the President & CEO of Qatar Petroleum, said: “We are pleased to sign this agreement with our long-time partner Total, and to participate in exploration activities in this frontier block offshore South Africa. We are hopeful that the exploration efforts, including the drilling of an exploration well later this year, will be successful, and we look forward to collaborating with our partners.”
The Block 11B/12B is located in the Outeniqua Basin, around 175 kilometers off the southern coast of South Africa, and covers an area of 19,000 square kilometers with water depths ranging from 200 to 1,800 meters.
"Total is delighted to broaden its long-standing relationship with Qatar Petroleum and combine efforts to explore this promising region offshore South Africa," said Arnaud Breuillac, president of Total's Exploration & Production division, in a statement.