Closed meetings and discussions have begun in Doha among foreign ministers from the Arab League and Organisation for Islamic Co-operation on how to respond to Israel's expansionist actions in the region, after strikes on Qatar.
In his opening speech, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman said there could be “no leniency” in dealing with Israel's “barbaric” attack, which set a dangerous precedent and was an illustration that Israel had “no red lines”.
“The time is now to stop the double standard and punish Israel for all the crimes it has committed and for it to know that the ethnic cleansing committed against the Palestinians will not be successful,” he said. Israel has only been “encouraged” by the international community's failure to act, he added.
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that “silence on a crime is a crime”.
“What we need to seek to do today is to hold those accountable for war crimes from the killing of civilians to starving a population and destroying an entire community in Gaza,” he said.
Preparations for the Arab-Islamic emergency summit kicked off less than a week after Israel struck Doha in an unprecedented attack not only on a Gulf state, but on a vital US ally that plays host to the largest US base in the region. Five members of Hamas and a Qatari security force member were killed in the Israeli attack, which Qatar called “state terrorism”.
Condemnations of Israel's actions poured in from Gulf, Arab, Western states and the UN Security Council, but Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down. He called on Qatar to expel the Hamas officials residing in Doha or “bring them to justice”, adding: “If you don't, we will.”
The UAE summoned Israel's deputy ambassador to Abu Dhabi over the attack and Mr Netanyahu's “hostile” statements.
A draft of the final resolution expected to be adopted at the Doha summit says Israel's attack on Qatar and its "genocide, ethnic cleansing, starvation, blockade and expansionist settlement and political activities" undermine the prospects of normalisation with Israel, including current and future agreements.
Although broad, the statement, seen by The National, appears to refer to Israel's hopes for normalisation with Saudi Arabia and the current Abraham Accords to which Bahrain, the UAE and Morocco are signatories.
The resolution, which is subject to amendment before the summit ends on Monday, also welcomes a "shared vision for Arab security" between Arab and Muslim states.
Prince Turki Al Faisal, former Saudi ambassador to the UK and US, expressed his hope that the summit will draw condemnation from the participating countries to “punish Israel for its heinous and genocidal actions in Gaza and also for its deliberately treacherous attack on Qatar”.
He added that economic sanctions should be imposed on Israel and questioned the US's credibility, given its ironclad support for the country. “The credibility of the US is at a crossroads in the Arab and Muslim worlds.”
One possible outcome of Sunday's discussions, which are taking place behind closed doors, is the revival of a Nato-style joint Arab military force.
The proposal to create a united military force was first presented by Egypt at a 2015 Arab summit held in Sharm El Sheikh. It was adopted in principle, but progress was not made in follow-up meetings, reportedly because of differences over a command structure and headquarters for the force.
While foreign ministers at the Arab-Islamic emergency summit continue to discuss the best path forward, the other question that remains is the US's position between two of its allies at odds: Qatar and Israel. Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman had just returned from a trip to Washington where he met President Donald Trump, the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the US envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff.
Mr Trump said he was “unhappy” with Israel's strike, but stopped short of outright rebuking Mr Netanyahu. Soon after, Mr Rubio landed in Israel to discuss “Middle East security”, but before his departure doubled down on his country's support for Israel despite the disapproval of the US for the strike on Doha.
“It’s not going to change the nature of our relationship with the Israelis, but we are going to have to talk about it – primarily, what impact does this have” on continuing Gaza truce efforts, he told reporters.
But Israel has been accused of derailing, if not entirely crushing, diplomatic efforts for peace in Gaza after assassinating Hamas's chief negotiator Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last year and attacking the group's leaders in Doha.
The group was discussing the latest US proposal for a deal when it came under Israeli attack. Qatar has been a vital mediator between Israel and Hamas since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023.
Mr Netanyahu has insinuated that he will continue to go after Hamas officials abroad, posing a threat not only to Qatar but also to Turkey, which hosts several of the group's officials.
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Results
4pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Dirt); 1,400m
Winner: Solar Shower; William Lee (jockey); Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
4.35pm: Handicap; Dh165,000 (D); 2,000m
Winner: Thaaqib; Antonio Fresu; Erwan Charpy.
5.10pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Turf); 1,800m
Winner: Bila Shak; Adrie de Vries; Fawzi Nass
5.45pm: Handicap; Dh175,000 (D); 1,200m
Winner: Beachcomber Bay; Richard Mullen; Satish Seemar
6.20pm: Handicap; Dh205,000 (T); 1,800m
Winner: Muzdawaj; Jim Crowley; Musabah Al Muhairi
6.55pm: Handicap; Dh185,000 (D); 1,600m
Winner: Mazeed; Tadhg O’Shea; Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap; Dh205,000 (T); 1,200m
Winner: Riflescope; Tadhg O’Shea; Satish Seemar.
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
