• Son faces Saudis, Palestine make history in Asian Cup last 16

    The knockout phase begins on Sunday when Australia play Indonesia, followed the same day by the United Arab Emirates against tournament debutants Tajikistan. At 146 in the world, Indonesia are the lowest-ranked team left in the tournament and squeezed through with one win and two defeats from their three group...
  • CIA chief heading to Europe for Gaza negotiations: US media

    According to Axios, Israel has offered Hamas a two-month pause in fighting in Gaza in exchange for the release of all hostages. Vowing to crush Hamas, Israel has launched a relentless military campaign that has killed at least 25,900 people in the Palestinian territory, mostly women and children, according to...
  • Vodafone Qatar 2023 profit up

    The 2023 net profit of Vodafone Qatar increased to $148 million.
  • Israel far-right minister slams Qatar over Hamas attack

    Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich commented after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was caught on tape allegedly telling hostages' families this week that Qatar's mediation was "problematic" when it came to resolving the hostage crisis. Smotrich accused Western governments of being "hypocritical" in maintaining close relations with Doha.
  • Qatar ‘appalled’ at alleged criticism by Netanyahu

    Israeli prime minister accused Qatar of financing Hamas at a meeting this week with the families of hostages held in Gaza. Making his annoyance with the country known, he said he was upset at a US decision to extend the presence of a military base in the Gulf state, according...
  • Coach Mancini lays out Saudi’s plan at Asian Cup

    Doha, Qatar - Roberto Mancini said on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia fear no team at the Asian Cup and will not try to duck out of a potential last-16 clash with South Korea. The Saudis have already qualified for the knockout rounds after two wins in Qatar and will top Group...
  • Qatar Chamber discusses ways to boost ties with Korean companies

    Doha, Qatar--The Qatar Chamber (QC) discussed ways to enhance cooperation and exchange expertise with Korean companies in agriculture and food security. The issues were discussed in a meeting with a Korean delegation representing from the Hyundai Research Institute (HRI). The meeting was attended by QC board member and Chair of...
  • Coach Mancini warns Saudi against taking Kyrgyzstan lightly

    Doha, Qatar - Roberto Mancini warned Saudi Arabia against falling victim to the kind of Asian Cup shock suffered by favorites Japan when his side face Kyrgyzstan on Sunday. Saudi Arabia fought back to beat Oman 2-1 in stoppage time in their opening match in Qatar and can seal their place...
  • Iraq upsets Japan to sail into knockouts of Asian Cup

    Doha, Qatar - Aymen Hussein scored two first-half headers as Iraq stunned Asian Cup favorites Japan 2-1 on Friday to reach the knockout rounds. It was Japan's first Asian Cup group-stage defeat in 26 matches and set them on a potential collision course with South Korea in the last 16 in...
  • Qatar real estate trading volume reaches US$91m between January 7-11

    DOHA, QATAR - The volume of real estate trading in sales contracts at the Department of Real Estate Registration at the Ministry of Justice during the period from January 7 to January 11 reached US$75 million. Total sales contracts for residential units in the Real Estate Bulletin for the same...
  • Afif helps Qatar exorcise World Cup demons at Asian Cup

    Doha, Qatar - Asian Cup hosts and holders Qatar have been on a mission to banish the painful memory of their 2022 World Cup flop and forward Akram Afif is leading the charge. Qatar lost all three of their World Cup games on home soil on their way to a first-round...
  • Qatar’s IPI declines by 1.5 percent in November 2023

    DOHA, QATAR – The Industrial Production index (IPI) of Qatar in November 2023 reached 91.7 points which is a fall of 1.5 percent compared to the previous month (October 2023). This is a decrease of by 5.8 percent compared to the corresponding month in 2022. Released by the Planning and...
  • Qatar to set up Centre for Fourth Industrial Revolution

    Davos, Switzerland -- The war in Ukraine, tensions in the Middle East, monetary policy in 2024, jobs, equitable economic growth, energy demand, artificial intelligence, and the need to find a common ground were some of the issues discussed at the third day of Davos summit. C4IR to be established in...
  • Al Jazeera bureau chief leaves Gaza

    Scenes of Dahdouh mourning his family and fleeing on foot from Gaza City have been broadcast globally over the weeks since war erupted between Hamas fighters and Israel on October 7. Speaking to an AFP journalist in southern Gaza, the 53-year-old said he had crossed the Rafah border post with...
  • Deal reached for Gaza hostages to receive medicines

    Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari told QNA "the medications and aid will leave Doha tomorrow to the city of Al-Arish in the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt, on board two Qatari Armed Forces aircrafts, in preparation for their transport into the Gaza Strip".
  • Mammoet, Aertssen sign agreement

    The two firms will provide heavy-lifting solutions in Qatar.
  • Palestine lose to Iran at Asian Cup as Japan survive scare

    Loud cries went up for the Palestinian anthem before the game and the team's players put their arms around each other's shoulders. A brief moment's silence was held before kick-off, the quiet punctuated by cries of "free Palestine".
  • Qatar Chamber and CzechTrade look to boost trade cooperation

    Doha, Qatar--Qatar and Czech Republic are looking to ramp up trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. In this regard, Qatar Chamber Acting General Manager Ali Saeed Bu Sherbak Al Mansouri met here on Sunday with CEO of the Czech Trade Promotion Agency (CzechTrade) Radomil Dolezal. The meeting took...
  • Palestine’s Asian Cup team seeks to ‘put smile’ on their compatriots

    Doha, Qatar - The Palestinian team hope to reach the knockout stage of the Asian Cup for the first time to "put a smile on the faces of the Palestinian people", one of its players said on Saturday. The tournament in Qatar is taking place against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas...
  • Qatar records $222m in realty deals: Registration department

    Doha, Qatar -- The volume of real estate trading in sales contracts at the Department of Real Estate Registration at the Ministry of Justice during the period from 31 December to 10 January 2024 reached 791 million QR. Total sales contracts for residential units in the Real Estate Bulletin for...
  • UAE passport most powerful in MENA region, 11th in global index

    Abu Dhabi, UAE - The UAE passport has climbed two positions to secure the 11th spot in the 2024 Passport Index by Henley & Partners. This advancement allows UAE citizens visa-free access to 183 countries. The UAE has been the most improved nation on the Index over the past decade,...
  • Son set to light up Asian Cup as Qatar takes center stage again

    The 24 teams spanning Australia to Palestine will battle for regional glory over the next four weeks, culminating in the final at the 88,000-capacity Lusail Stadium on February 10.
  • Nakilat expands its fleet

    The Qatari firm placed orders for 6 carriers with HSHI.
  • Qatar under pressure in Asian Cup defence after abrupt Queiroz axing

    Queiroz, who coached Iran at the World Cup and was assistant to Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, had a four-year contract with Qatar. He won five, lost five and drew two during his aborted tenure. Qatar's football association gave no reason for the decision to get rid of him and...
  • Qatar sees 36.1 percent surge in visitor arrivals in Nov 2023

    Doha, Qatar -- Qatar witnessed a 36.1 percent increase in the number of inbound visitors in November 2023, compared to 2023, to a total of 393,000, but a 33.5 year-on-year decrease. The highest number of visitors was from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) at 46 percent. As for visitors by type...
  • Qatar PMI data reveals ‘stable business conditions’ in non-energy sector

    Doha, Qatar--Qatar's non-energy private sector registered broadly stable business conditions in December, the latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) survey data from Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) has revealed. Volumes of output, new business and backlogs of work were all largely stable compared with November levels, while employment growth was maintained, and...
  • Blinken warns Israel-Hamas war could ‘metastasize’

    Blinken will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Saudi desert city of Al-Ula, said a US official on condition of anonymity. Qatar, a wealthy Gulf emirate which hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East, also hosts Hamas's political office and is the main residence...
  • Hamas urges US diplomat to end Israeli aggression in Gaza

    ISTANBUL, TURKEY - Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has called on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to use his current Middle East tour to end Israel's "aggression" as war rages in Gaza. The top US diplomat arrived in Turkey on Friday at the start of a trip that includes planned...
  • Saudi Arabia, Qatar denounce Gaza’s residents emigration plan

    Saudi Arabia and Qatar condemned comments by two Israeli ministers calling for Palestinians to emigrate from the Gaza Strip. Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Monday called for promoting "a solution to encourage the emigration of Gaza's residents" and the re-establishment of Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip.
  • Sharp-shooting Al-Attiyah takes aim at sixth Dakar title

    A 425-strong colorful caravanserai made up of cars, bikes, quads and trucks sets out from Al-Ula on a treacherous 4,900-mile odyssey around the Gulf kingdom with a January 19 finish in Yanbu on the Red Sea. This year's route includes a first ever 48-hour stage in the Empty Quarter, a...
  • Qatari exports to clients surge in 2023 to US$412m: Tasdeer

    Doha, Qatar--The Qatar Development Bank's Export Development and Promotion Agency (Tasdeer), a subsidiary of the Qatar Development Bank, announced an increase in Qatari exports to its clients by over $412 million during 2023. In a statement released today, the agency highlighted its participation in eight international exhibitions over the past...
  • Invest Qatar launches azure open AI GPT-powered chatbot ‘Ai.SHA’

    DOHA, QATAR - The Investment Promotion Agency Qatar (Invest Qatar) has partnered with Microsoft to develop Ai.SHA, an innovative AI-powered assistant harnessing GPT capabilities through the azure open AI service. This initiative positions Invest Qatar as one of the first investment promotion agencies (IPA) in the world to adopt advanced...
  • Qatar’s industrial sector PPI down in Nov on lower oil prices

    Doha, Qatar -- Qatar's Producer Price Index (PPI) of the industrial sector in the country for November was 118.65 points, a decrease of 1.95 percent compared to October 2023. On Y-o-Y basis, PPI of November 2023 showed a decrease of 17.36 percent. The main four industry sectors by weight are...
  • Gaza war overshadows football as Asian Cup looms for Palestine

    The Palestinian Football Association had celebrated in June last year when the national team won -- for the third time -- a spot in the Asian cup. But with no end in sight to the Gaza war, the team now feels crushed as they try to prepare for the upcoming...
  • Qatar’s foreign merchandise trade surplus $4.58 billion in Nov 2023

    Doha, Qatar -- Qatar's foreign merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports, showed a surplus of QR 16.7 billion ($4.58 billion) in Nov 2023, a decrease of about QR 9.5 billion, or 36.3 percent, compared to Nov 2022, and a decrease by nearly QR 2.3 billion or 12.1 percent compared...
  • Israeli strike kills former Palestinian minister, Gaza death toll 21,822

    Youssef Salama, the 68-year-old former minister of religious affairs in the Palestinian Authority, was killed in a strike on the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, Wafa news agency and the ministry reported. Considered close to Fatah, the party of Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas, Salama served as...
  • GCC makes pivotal strides in development, diplomacy

    In 2023, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait collectively advanced in technology and sustainable development, achieving global integration.
  • Hamas delegation to discuss Egypt’s Gaza ceasefire plan

    Sources close to Hamas say Cairo's three-stage plan provides for renewable ceasefires, a staggered release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and ultimately a ceasefire to end the war sparked by the deadly October 7 attack on Israel. It also provides for a Palestinian...
  • India says Qatar reduced death sentence of 8 navy personnel

    Indian media have reported that the eight Indian nationals -- among them former high-ranking and decorated officers, including captains who once commanded warships -- were arrested in Doha in August 2022.
  • Regional players welcome ceasefire and political process in Yemen

    Riyad, Saudi Arabia -- Key regional players have welcomed the agreement – involving a comprehensive set of measures aimed at establishing a ceasefire, improving living conditions, and resuming political dialogue under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) – reached by the warring parties in Yemen.  Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the...
  • Qatar’s customs and tax departments link up e-services to ‘facilitate’ business

    Doha, Qatar--The General Authority of Customs and the General Tax Authority have announced the launch of the interconnection between their electronic services, as part of the efforts to facilitate procedures for business owners and benefit from the development of the digital infrastructure in Qatar. The interconnection launch announcement comes to...
  • Qatar expects a decrease in inflation next year

    Doha, Qatar-- Inflation in Qatar is expected to fall in 2024, according to Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, the Minister of Finance. In a press conference on Thursday, the minister said that the inflation witnessed in Qatar in 2023 was temporary and associated with a specific period and reasons, such...
  • UN says Gaza on cusp of famine due to Hamas-Israel war

    The Israel-Hamas war is pushing Gaza towards famine, the United Nations warned ahead of an expected Security Council vote on a resolution to boost aid to the Palestinian territory but not call for a ceasefire. Separate diplomatic efforts were also underway for a fresh pause in the worst-ever Gaza war.
  • UN adopts Qatar-sponsored resolution on human rights training center

    New York, USA - The UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution by 185 votes on 'The UN Human Rights Training and Documentation Center for South-West Asia and the Arab Region'. Qatar sponsored and facilitated negotiations every two years since its establishment in 2008, with its headquarters in Doha. Sheikha...
  • Qatar expects 11.4% revenue dip in 2024 budget on lower oil prices

    Finance Minister Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari attributed the decrease in revenues to the adoption of an average oil price of $60 per barrel for 2024 instead of $65 per barrel in 2023, based on the international institutions estimates for oil prices in 2024, and the conservative estimates for oil...
  • ‘Qatar plays crucial role in enhancing transparency’

    "Uzbekistan is eager to strengthen its cooperative relationship with Qatar, particularly in anti-corruption efforts. Qatar has achieved advanced rankings and received numerous international accolades in this area, from which Uzbekistan seeks to learn," he adds during the Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award.
  • UAE, Oman, Qatar seen as top 2024 property investment destinations

    Dubai, UAE – Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, particularly Dubai, have secured top positions for residential property investment in 2024, the inaugural "Housearch Investment Index" highlighted in its report. The trend underscores the region's appeal as a stable and reliable investment haven, especially amidst cooling property markets in...
  • Maritime agencies report explosion off Yemen coast

    Dubai, UAE - A "possible explosion" struck a key shipping lane off Yemen on Monday, two maritime agencies said, the latest incident in the vital waterway threatened by Houthi rebel attacks. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations issued a warning of a potential explosion striking near a vessel passing through...
  • Qatar records 6 percent drop in Industrial Production Index in October

    Doha, Qatar-- Qatar has recorded a 9.3 percent drop in the Industrial Production index (IPI) in the month of October 2023 to 93.1 points, compared to the previous month (September 2023), and decreased by 6.0 percent, when compared to the corresponding month in 2022, according to the Planning and Statistics...
  • Moroccan officials questioned in EU graft probe

    BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - Several Moroccan officials have been questioned as part of a high-profile investigation into alleged bribery by the north African state and Qatar at the European Parliament, Belgian prosecutors said on Saturday. The interviews in Morocco -- conducted by local authorities in the presence of Belgian investigators -- were...