Ten months ago, an air, sea and land blockade was imposed on Qatar by four Arab countries.
Here are the latest developments:
On May 10, Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Combating Terrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution Mutlaq bin Majed al-Qahtani, stressed that Qatar is making “strong efforts in the fight against terrorism”.
Al-Qahtani chaired Qatar’s delegation in a meeting that was held in Kuwait with the participation of all GCC countries and the US.
He said that the country actively participated in the meeting, which aimed to “coordinate joint disruptive actions”, and, “offer support to countries in the region that need assistance building capacity to counterterror funding threats”.
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 132.5 billion Qatari riyals ($36bn).
On May 7, the Ministry of Finance reported that Qatar is estimated to go from a deficit of 1.6 percent of its GDP 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.