Obama Visit Highlights Qatar’s Education Growth
QATAR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Last week the US-Qatar Business Council hosted a roundtable discussion for the American Chamber of Commerce—Qatar (AmCham Qatar) where they discussed the results of their annual “Doorknock,” which took place in Washington, DC from April 10-14, 2016. During AmCham Qatar’s annual “Doorknock,” they convene with American congressmen and constructively converse the pertinent issues related to the United States’s and Qatar’s commercial relationship.
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In response to the urgent humanitarian crisis in Iraq, Qatar’s Emir has directed some $10 million in aid to the country, QNA reports. The money will go toward food security, healthcare and other needs via a tie-up with the Qatar Red Crescent Society and Qatar Development Fund.
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A record 175 nations, including Qatar, have signed the Paris climate agreement, the first universal action plan to tackle global warming. The agreement was signed on Earth Day and Qatar was represented by Minister of Municipality and Environment Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi at the UN headquarters in New York. Speaking at a reception afterwards, Al Rumaihi said Qatar is working on several projects related to renewable energy and water desalination, as well as clean transport of natural gas, QNA reports.
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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud said that under the wise leadership of the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al -Thani, Qatar has played a pivotal role in establishing the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) since its earlier days as a complement to the political and security efforts being made by the United Nations and the international community to prevent and resolve conflicts amicably.
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BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Qatar’s Ministry of Energy and Industry will allow gasoline and diesel prices in the domestic market to fluctuate according to global market changes, as the gas-rich country looks to reduce the subsidy burden on its finances amid lower oil prices.
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Qatar First Bank L.L.C. (QFB), a leading Shari'ah compliant bank based in Qatar offering investment opportunities and innovative financial solutions with local, regional and international reach, welcomed visitors and media representatives at its private banking lounge, in light of the imminent listing on the Qatar Stock Exchange. The event presented an open platform to showcase a summary of the bank's history and financial performance in addition to the most recent milestones shaping the bank's future.
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Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) is planning its next major desalination plant at Ras Abu Fontas in Qatar. According to sources in Qatar’s water market, the client is considering overseeing the development of a 36 million-imperial-gallon-a-day (MIGD) A4 desalination plant at the Ras Abu Fontas site.
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Governor of Qatar Central Bank Sheikh Abdullah bin Saoud Al-Thani highlighted the high priority Qatar National Vision 2030 holds for the financial sector and its contribution to economic growth. He said that the Central Bank, Qatar Financial Center and Qatar Financial Markets Authority cooperated and placed the Strategic Plan 2013 - 2016. One of the main goals of this plan was to enhance the infrastructure of markets, enhance consumer protection and building human capital among others.
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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce on Sunday signed a strategic partnership agreement with LinkedIn, the largest professional network in the world, in the framework of strengthening its position as a leader in attracting qualified professionals in Qatar, supporting its efforts to communicate with the Ministry's staff and enhancing its corporate identity.
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Germany’s Siemens has been awarded a service contract for the Facility D independent water and power project (IWPP) in Qatar. Siemens' service agreement covers the plant’s six gas turbines, four steam turbines and 10 generators for a 25-year period.
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Work is underway or being planned for both its Qatar-based and international hotels. The company, which has 3,342 rooms in Qatar today, is spending “billions” of Qatari riyals on its renovation program, Al-Mulla said, but would not provide an exact figure.
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The Pearl-Qatar’s iconic tower Al Mutahida in Viva Bahriya is expected to be launched before the end of this year, United Development Company’s (UDC) marketing and communications director Hussain Akbar al-Baker has said. UDC, a leading Qatari shareholding company and master developer of The Pearl-Qatar, is showcasing the latest developments of its projects and properties, including Al Mutahida, at the three-day Cityscape Qatar 2016, which opened yesterday at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.
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EDUCATION & CULTURE
Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) its third international symposium on the Indian Ocean World. Titled “Commerce with the Universe: Histories, Connectivities, Imaginings,” the symposium featured a multidisciplinary panel of Doha-based and international scholars seeking to redefine the cultural, economic, political and historical ties between the Gulf region and Africa.
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Infantino, FIFA’s new President, visited Qatar to observe construction ahead of the 2022 World Cup. While in country, he visited a number of construction sites and labor camps. He also observed a semi-final match for the Qatar Worker’s Cup. This soccer cup allows Qatar’s laborers to engage in friendly competition with some high stakes rewards. He also called for an independent body to monitor the worker’s conditions going forward.
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MEMBER NEWS
Qatar’s national carrier could walk away from an order of Airbus A320neo aircraft after its chief executive said that even more problems have been found with the jet. Qatar Airways is now in talks with an Airbus rival about potentially supplying substitute aircraft after issues this time with the A320’s hydraulics and software were discovered, Reuters reports. Citing unnamed industry sources, the newswire said the latest problems are to do with “increased noise” when some of the new aircraft are taxiing, which could be disturbing to passengers.
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Qatar’s purchase of 254 surface-to-air missiles from an American weapons manufacturer has cleared a major hurdle after securing the approval of the US State Department. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced the decision regarding the $260 million order from Raytheon Missile Systems in a statement published over the weekend. The agency stated that selling the weapons to Qatar would improve the national security of the US “by helping to improve the security of a friendly country.”
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Alfardan Properties has been recognized by Qatar's National Program for Conservation and Energy Efficiency (Tarsheed) for the success of its energy efficiency initiative across its projects. These include the implementation of a district cooling plant, the deployment of motion detection sensors in public areas, as well as introduction of a grey water treatment plant.
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