Qatar’s strident claims that it is committed to fighting terrorism have struck a hollow note after senior members of the Qatari government were photographed at the wedding of one of the world’s leading financial backers of terrorism.
Ever since the quartet of Arab states imposed a diplomatic boycott on Qatar for its support of Islamist terror groups, Doha has loudly protested its innocence, claiming that it has implemented numerous measures to tackle terrorism.
Only last month the Qataris were publicly praised by senior counter-terrorism officials in the Trump administration at the inaugural US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue in Washington, for the very strong steps they say they have taken in recent months to assist the international community and the US in their campaign against ISIS, Al Qaeda and other transnational terrorist groups.
Among the measures praised by American officials were the alleged steps taken by Doha to clamp down on the funding of terror groups by prominent Qatari citizens.
The Qatari emir, Sheikh Tamim, later gave his personal pledge to Donald Trump that “we do not tolerate...people who support and fund terrorism". The commitment also drew praise from British ministers, who welcomed the “emir of Qatar’s commitment to tackle terrorism in all its manifestations, including terrorist financing.”
Now the Qataris find themselves in the embarrassing position of having to explain how, so shortly after receiving these public plaudits, their prime minister was photographed happily celebrating a wedding hosted by one of the terrorism financiers it is supposed to be taking action against.
The pictures emerged after Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa, the Qatar prime minister, attended a wedding hosted by Abdulrahman Al Nuaymi. The Qatari government had only recently designated Mr Al Nuaymi as a financier of terrorism, a move that was supposed to restrict his ability to support extremist groups. And yet here was the Qatari prime minister happily posing for pictures with Mr Al Nuaymi as they celebrated the marriage of his son.
Nor does the embarrassment for the Qataris end there, as the guest list for the wedding reads like a who’s who of Middle East terrorism. For also joining the wedding party was Khaled Mashaal, the former head of the militant Hamas terrorist organisation, which is banned by the US.
For a country that is supposed to be pursuing a so-called “zero tolerance” approach to terrorism, the presence of a senior member of the Qatari royal family at such an event raises some troubling questions about just how serious Doha is about changing its ways.
The Qatari government was quick to respond to the story, pointing out that it was a private occasion and that it was not sanctioned by the authorities in Doha. It stated that Sheikh Abdullah had been invited “personally” by the groom, whom it described as “a government employee of the state of Qatar, and upstanding young man”.
It does, though, raise questions about whether the Qatari government is serious about investigating the activities of the groom’s father, who has been the subject of an asset freeze and travel ban since 2015 over allegations concerning his links to terror groups. Mr Al Nuaymi was last month released after serving an eight month spell in prison having been acquitted due to "lack of evidence".
It will be hard, though, for the Qataris to persuade the outside world that the wedding pictures reflect nothing more than a harmless social occasion. For many in the Gulf and beyond, they will be seen as just the latest example of the Qataris' double standards in both their attitude towards sponsoring terrorism actions with regard to the security concerns of their Gulf neighbours.
Qatar's reckless approach to the safety of the citizens of other Gulf states was demonstrated last weekend when a Qatari fighter was reported to have flown within almost 200 metres of a UAE civilian aircraft, which was carrying 86 passengers, while flying over Bahrain on an approved route.
It is the fifth time a Qatari aircraft has flown close to a UAE plane, prompting Saif Al Suwaidi, director-general of the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority, to denounce the incident as “the greatest form of terrorism: using military weapons against civilians. A fighter jet flying that close to a defenceless civilian aircraft is an act of intimidation and a show of power.”
Another example of Qatar's attempts to undermine the security of its Gulf neighbours has emerged in Bahrain, following the trial of three men charged with "hostile acts against Bahrain with the intention to overthrow the political system". The Bahraini public prosecutor has presented new evidence relating to the links between the accused and Qatar, including contacts alleged to have been made by Ali Salman Ali Ahmed, the head of Bahrain's largest opposition group, Al Wefaq, and the then Qatari prime minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, during the 2011 anti-government protests in Manama.
None of these actions are the work of a country that is serious about having a constructive relationship with its Gulf neighbours, and shows that, for all its protestations to the contrary, Qatar poses a threat to the stability of the Arab world.
And the Qataris need to understand that, by continuing to pursue such policies, they are putting their own survival at risk. For the moment, the Trump administration is taking Qatar’s protestations that it is fighting terrorism at face value. But this is not a policy the quixotic Mr Trump will continue to support if Washington decides Doha can no longer be trusted as a reliable and truthful ally.
Con Coughlin is the Daily Telegraph’s defence and foreign affairs editor
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Fixtures (all in UAE time)
Friday
Everton v Burnley 11pm
Saturday
Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur 3.30pm
West Ham United v Southampton 6pm
Wolves v Fulham 6pm
Cardiff City v Crystal Palace 8.30pm
Newcastle United v Liverpool 10.45pm
Sunday
Chelsea v Watford 5pm
Huddersfield v Manchester United 5pm
Arsenal v Brighton 7.30pm
Monday
Manchester City v Leicester City 11pm
8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
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Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
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Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
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Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
UAE group fixtures
Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran
Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait
Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed
India squad
Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, K.L. Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur.
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
The biog
Name: Capt Shadia Khasif
Position: Head of the Criminal Registration Department at Hatta police
Family: Five sons and three daughters
The first female investigator in Hatta.
Role Model: Father
She believes that there is a solution to every problem
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Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
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Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
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Under 19 Cricket World Cup, Asia Qualifier
Fixtures
Friday, April 12, Malaysia v UAE
Saturday, April 13, UAE v Nepal
Monday, April 15, UAE v Kuwait
Tuesday, April 16, UAE v Singapore
Thursday, April 18, UAE v Oman
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Aaron Benjamin, Akasha Mohammed, Alishan Sharafu, Anand Kumar, Ansh Tandon, Ashwanth Valthapa, Karthik Meiyappan, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Rishab Mukherjee, Niel Lobo, Osama Hassan, Vritya Aravind, Wasi Shah
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Asia Cup 2018 final
Who: India v Bangladesh
When: Friday, 3.30pm, Dubai International Stadium
Watch: Live on OSN Cricket HD
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Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
RESULT
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai 0 Al Ain 6
Al Ain: Caio (5', 73'), El Shahat (10'), Berg (65'), Khalil (83'), Al Ahbabi (90' 2)
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
