Al Jazeera
Qatari economy
- On May 9, the Chairman of General Authority of Customs (GAC) Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Jamal stressed that GAC worked to secure the entry of products necessary during the first weeks of the siege.
- On the total declaration volume of Qatar’s ports, Al Jamal said the number of completed declarations during the last year was 2,010,569 and a total value of QR132,5bn ($36bn).
- On May 7, the Ministry of Finance reported that Qatar is estimated to go from a deficit of GDP of 1.6 percent in 2017 to a surplus of 2.8 percent of GDP in 2018. This is based in the Economic Outlook Brief to be released by the IMF in May 14.
- Bonds: On April 12, Qatar raised $12bn from its first bond issuance on the international market since 2016, a few days after Saudi Arabia raised $11bn in bonds.
- “The overall success of the issue clearly reflects the strength of the Qatari economy and the confidence the state enjoys from international investors,” a Qatari official said.
- Investigation: On March 17, Qatar’s central bank asked US regulators to investigate the US subsidiary of a UAE-owned bank for engaging in “bogus” foreign exchange deals intended to undermine the Qatari riyal and harm its economy.
Qatar Petroleum
- On May 8, Saad al-Kaabi Qatar Petroleum CEO, said the company will push ahead with its production expansion despite the blockade.
- Qatar is one of the most influential players in the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) market due to its annual production of 77 million tonnes.
Human Rights
- On May 2, Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee condemned the arrest without charges of Mohsen Saleh Saadoun al-Karbi, a Qatari citizen, at Yemen’s Shahn border on April 21, during his visit to family.
Trump mediation
- On April 29, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for unity in the Gulf region, during a visit to Saudi Arabia.
- In advance of Pompeo’s visit, US officials told reporters the US secretary of state would urge Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and King Salman to resolve the Gulf crisis in a series of meetings on Saturday and Sunday.
- On April 23, US Ambassador to Kuwait Lawrence Silverman said: President Donald Trump was eager to find a “quick and final” solution to the Gulf crisis.
- There have been contacts between US and Gulf officials over the crisis, he told Kuwait state news agency KUNA, and he affirmed the “unity” of the six was important amid huge security challenges.
- On April 11, cited officials said Trump is interested in restoring unity among Gulf Arab states and present a united front against Iran.
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Qatar Airways
- Losses: On Wednesday, April 25, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker told reporters that the airline has made a “substantial” loss in its financial year because of the regional dispute.
- Acquisitions: On April 10, Qatar Airways bought a minority stake in JetSuite, a US private aviation company, potentially expanding the semi-private model across the US.
- On February 20, Italian airline Meridiana changed its name to Air Italy with the backing of its new shareholder, Qatar Airways. The airline aims to become Italy’s flagship carrier, as UAE-backed Alitalia filed for bankruptcy.
- The blockading countries have targeted Qatar Airways by forbidding it from using their airspace, but it has found alternative routes and expanded its travel network with new international partnerships.
Syria intervention
- On April 24, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said that “Qatar must pay for the US military forces’ in Syria, and send its military forces there before the US president denies US protection for Qatar.”
- Al Jubeir’s remarks came after US President Donald Trump repeated earlier calls on the “immensely wealthy” countries in the region to step up their financial and military involvement in the region, in lieu of the US.
- “They wouldn’t be there except for the United States. They wouldn’t last a week. We are protecting them. They have to now step up, and pay for what is happening,” Trump said.
- Earlier in April, Trump announced his intention to withdraw from Syria and said “Saudi Arabia is very interested in our decision … Well, you know, you want us to stay, maybe you’re going to have to pay.”
Qatar airspace
- Qatar airspace: On April 23, Qatar’s civil aviation authority denied UAE’s claims that Qatari military planes intercepted a civilian aircraft on April 22.
- According to Qatar, an unauthorised military aircraft from the UAE entered Qatar’s airspace in the same area as the UAE’s civilian aeroplane.
- On April 22, the United Arab Emirates said that a civilian aircraft heading to Bahrain was approached by a Qatari jet, forcing its pilot to take evasive manoeuvers to avoid a collision.
- On March 28, Qatar reported to the UN Security Council an alleged violation of its airspace by a Bahraini warplane. Since December, Qatar has reported four such violations to the UN.
US-GCC summit
- On April 23, Kuwait Foreign Minister Khaled al-Jarallah said, “Kuwait and the Arab Gulf countries were determined to solve the crisis.”
- “Everybody realises the longer this division the deeper the wound will be,” al-Jarallah said.
- He added circumstances were not yet ripe to hold a summit between the GCC and the US. He noted the summit might be held next September.
- On April 3, US officials cited by Reuters said that the summit planned between Gulf Arab leaders and the US is being postponed to September.
- On March 7, Kuwaiti Deputy Foreign Minister Khalid al-Jarallah confirmed to Kuwait’s news agency that the US planned to host a summit to resolve the Gulf dispute, but said that no invitations had been sent.
Al Jazeera
- On April 22, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa tweeted his “14th demand”, calling for the prosecution of Al Jazeera for “spreading lies and rumours that cause confusion in our countries”.
- In July 2017, Bahrain and the other blockading countries issued a 13-point list of demands to lift the blockade on Qatar, including the shutdown of the Al Jazeera’s Network.
Qatar – US
- Military: On April 19, Governor Jim Justice announced a new military partnership between Qatar and West Virginia “to expand upon military to military, military to civilian, and civilian to civilian engagements,” between the two.
- On April 11, the US approved a $300m sale of guided missiles to Qatar, after Qatar’s emir met with the US secretary of defence at the Pentagon on April 9.
- Economy: On April 17, Qatar’s economy minister chaired the Qatar-US Economic Forum in Charleston, South Carolina, and highlighted that 84 percent of the $24bn of trade between the two countries in 2017 was in favour of the US.
- On April 11, Qatar’s emir also participated in the Qatar-US Economic Forum and said that the country is planning to “double” the $125bn partnership in coming years.
- The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) allocated $45bn of investments for the period between 2015 and 2020 of which $10bn were allocated for the infrastructure sector, Qatar’s economy minister said.
Gulf shield drill
- On April 18, the Qatari Ministry of Defence announced its participation in the month-long “Gulf Shield 1” military exercises held in Saudi Arabia.
- The military drill was conducted in the town of Ras Al Khair, north of Jubail city in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia, from March 21 to April 16, along with land, sea and air forces from 25 other countries.
Military bases
- Qatar: On April 16, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdg visited a Turkish military base in Qatar as part of his official tour to the Gulf state.
- Earlier this year, the Turkish ambassador to Qatar said that “according to the agreement signed between Qatar and Turkey in 2014, all ground, air, and naval forces will be deployed to Qatar.”
- Qatar also hosts American, British and French forces at the Al Udeid airbase.
- Bahrain: On April 5, in Bahrain, the UK inaugurated its first permanent naval base in the Middle East since 1971.
- Bahrain’s crown prince said that it “reflects Bahrain’s support for the international coalition against terrorism and will also contribute to global security by safeguarding maritime activity and global trade”.
- Meanwhile, Bahrain and the Saudi-led quarter expect Qatar to shut down a Turkish military base, together with 12 other demands which Qatar consider to violate its sovereignty.
Arab summit
- Dhahran: On April 15, Qatar announced that Ambassador Saif bin Muqaddam al-Buainain, its permanent ambassador to the Arab League, will head the Qatari delegation at the 29th Arab League Summit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
- A week earlier, the spokesperson for the Qatari foreign ministry confirmed that it had been officially invited to the summit, but ruled out discussions on the Gulf crisis.
- Cairo: On April 9, an official Qatari delegation was present at the 45th session of the Arab Labour Conference in Cairo to represent Qatar.
Trump meetings
- Phone calls: On April 11, Reuters revealed that President Trump had a phone conversation with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on April 2, and demanded an end to the dispute with Qatar, according to two US officials briefed on the conversation.
- On April 3, the US president and Qatar’s emir discussed the obstacles to restoring unity in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) over the phone, according to a statement issued by the White House.
- Meetings: On April 10, Qatar’s emir met the US President at the White House to discuss the “strategic” relationship between the two countries, the Qatar-Gulf crisis, and “terrorism” funding in the region.
- Donald Trump met the Saudi crown prince on March 21, Qatar’s emir on April 10, and is scheduled to meet with Abu Dhabi’s crown prince after that.