Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani
Qatar's ruler said on Tuesday that a political and economic boycott of his country by larger neighbours had weakened a Gulf Arab bloc at a time of regional instability, but he voiced hope the crisis would pass.
Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani outlined Qatar's economic achievements over the past year despite sanctions imposed by Saudi Arabia and four Arab states since June 2017, saying the tiny but wealthy country would preserve its status as the world's top liquefied natural gas exporter.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut transport and trade ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and their foe Iran. Doha denies the charges and says the boycott aims to impinge on its sovereignty.
Qatar reshuffles cabinet, boards of Qatar Petroleum and Qatar Investment Authority
Qatar appointed the heads of its biggest bank and state-run oil firm to two key ministerial posts in a cabinet reshuffle on Sunday which comes amid a protracted dispute with Arab states.The country’s ruler issued decrees restructuring the boards of state-run Qatar Petroleum (QP) and Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the world’s ninth largest sovereign wealth fund with about $300 billion in assets.It was the first government reshuffle in Qatar, the world’s top liquefied natural gas producer, since early 2016. The tiny but wealthy country has been facing a diplomatic and economic boycott by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt since June 2017.The four countries accuse Qatar of backing terrorism and cosying up to Iran. Doha denies the charges and says the boycott aims to impinge on its sovereignty.Qatar National Bank (QNB) CEO Ali Ahmed al-Kuwari was appointed to a new portfolio which combined commerce and industry under one ministry in the cabinet reshuffle which also included changes to the justice, labour and social affairs ministries.It was not clear whether Kuwari would retain his post at QNB, the Middle East’s largest lender by assets. The bank, which is 50 percent owned by the country’s sovereign wealth fund, did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.Saad al-Kaabi, the chief executive officer of QP, joined the cabinet as Minister of State for Energy Affairs, according to a decree published by the royal court.Al-Kaabi, a U.S.-educated engineer, rose through the ranks to become chief executive of QP in 2014 and also sits on the board of the Qatar Investment Authority.He has gained a reputation among executives of the world’s energy majors, such as Exxon, Shell and Total, as a reliable counterpart for energy projects that have made the tiny nation of 2.6 million people the biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) on the planet.
"History teaches us that crises pass, but if they are handled badly then this may leave traces which last for a long time," Sheikh Tamim said in a speech to the country's consultative Shoura council.
"It is very regrettable that the continuation of the Gulf crisis exposed the failure of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)...which has weakened its ability to face challenges and threats and marginalised its role in the region," he said.
The United States, an ally of the six-nation GCC, has tried to mediate in the dispute which it sees as a risk to efforts to contain Iran. Qatar is home to a U.S. air base. Saudi Arabia and the UAE had repeatedly said that resolving the row was not a top priority for them.
Chairman of Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Dr Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri on Saturday called on a UN special rapporteur, Fionnuala Ni Aolain, to reveal the whereabouts of the four Qatari nationals being held by Saudi authorities and urged her to work on securing their release immediately.Dr al-Marri voiced Qatar’s request while delivering a copy of the NHRC's annual reports and a report on the one-year anniversary of the blockade on Qatar by the four-nation Arab bloc in Qatar's capital, Doha.Defining the four Qatari citizens detained in Saudi Arabia as victims of “arbitrary arrest” and forced disappearance, he stated that the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Working Group on Enforced Disappearance needs to undertake a joint field visit to Saudi Arabia to reveal the fate of the Qatari nationals detained there.Speaking to reporters during his visit to the United Kingdom, he also stressed that the Saudi authorities’ actions against detained Qatari nationals are shameful and inhumane, which will leave psychological effects on future generations.Last year Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut diplomatic, transport and trade ties with Qatar, accusing it of financing terrorism, a charge Qatar denies.Al-Marri also discussed the lists formed by the four-state blockading countries which categorizes a number of Qatari organizations, activists, individuals and media personalities as terrorists.He said that the lists aim to tarnish Qatar's image and disrupt the humanitarian work done by Qatar by undermining the efforts of humanitarian activists and journalists who helped millions of people in need of humanitarian projects.
Qatar calls for release of four citizens detained in Saudi Arabia