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☆ Airbus and Qatar edge towards agreement in A350 dispute - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A view shows the Qatar Airways' airbus A350 parked outside Qatar Airways maintenance hangar in Doha, Qatar, June 20, 2022. REUTERS/Imad CreidiPARIS, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Airbus (AIR.PA) and Qatar Airways are edging towards an agreement to settle a bitter dispute over grounded A350 jets, two people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. "There will be an agreement," one of the sources said, while another cautioned that the talks were still ongoing. Airbus and Qatar Airways had no immediate comment. The dispute between two of aviation's largest players has led to the unprecedented cancellation of large-scale orders from Airbus, and extra business for its U.S. rival Boeing (BA.N).

☆ Bahrain's crown prince calls Qatari emir in apparent step towards mending fences
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Bahrain's Prime Minister and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa attends the inauguration of Exhibition World Bahrain at Sakhir Bahrain, November 21, 2022. BNA said that Bahrain's crown prince and prime minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, had in the call with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani "emphasised the importance of joint efforts to resolve all outstanding differences". "It was also agreed that officials from both countries will continue to communicate to achieve common goals," BNA said. Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia has led efforts to rebuild ties with Qatar and, along with Egypt, re-established diplomatic relations. Bahrain, a Sunni Muslim-ruled monarchy with a restive Shi'ite population, has deep unease over Qatar's relations with Iran.

☆ UAE president visits Qatar in sign of warming ties
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) president arrived in Qatar on Monday on the first such visit since Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies ended a boycott of Doha nearly two years ago. Qatar is currently hosting soccer's World Cup,The visit "is another step towards strengthening Gulf solidarity and joint action," Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said on Twitter. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt early last year ended a 3-1/2 year embargo of Qatar, but ties between Doha and Abu Dhabi have not warmed at the same pace as those with Riyadh and Cairo, which re-established diplomatic ties with Doha. UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan visited Doha twice as part of Abu Dhabi's push to manage regional differences. Abu Dhabi, like Manama, has not appointed an envoy to Doha, but restored travel and trade links between the UAE and Qatar.

"There is a big solidarity between us, Morocco, Tunisia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. "Look at what Saudi Arabia and Morocco have done. We hope that it will be crowned with a Tunisian and Saudi victory today," he said. "It's a good feeling, the first time (a World Cup is hosted) in an Arabian country," said Ali Abbas Moussa, a 30-year-old pharmacist from Iraq. Some Arab leaders attending the World Cup have echoed the sense of pan-Arab solidarity during matches.

☆ Arab fans unite after surprise wins in Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Muath Freij | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

That chance to make history has forged a sense of solidarity among Arab supporters in Doha. "When Saudi Arabia play I am Saudi and when Morocco play, all the Arab people..." said Mansouri "...are Moroccans!" Mansouri said it felt as if Morocco and Saudi Arabia were both playing on home ground in Qatar, something which may have helped them reach new heights. All Arab and Gulf people support any (Arab) team," said Saudi supporter Khaled al-Asaimi, echoing the tone set by the leaders of Qatar and Saudi Arabia at the start of the tournament. Tensions between the two neigbours led Saudi Arabia and its allies to declare a travel and trade embargo on Qatar in 2017, a move only rescinded last year.

Pro-Palestinian sympathies among fans have also spilt into stadiums as four Arab teams compete. Qatari players have worn pro-Palestinian arm-bands, even as Qatar has allowed Israeli fans to fly in directly for the first time. The first Middle Eastern nation to host the World Cup, Qatar has often seemed a regional maverick: it hosts the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas but has also previously had some trade relations with Israel. Arab fans have shunned Israeli journalists reporting from Qatar. Omar Barakat, a soccer coach for the Palestinian national team who was in Doha for the World Cup, said he had carried his flag into matches without being stopped.

☆ Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal: 'I'm waiting for someone to wake me up,' says Saudi sports minister after remarkable win over Argentina
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Zeena Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A day after Saudi Arabia’s historic win against Argentina at the Qatar World Cup, the Kingdom’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal says he’s “waiting for someone to wake me up.”“It’s been an unbelievable result. Saudi Arabia's victory is the most famous in the Arab world, alongside Algeria's victory over West Germany in 1982. People that don’t know Saudi Arabia, have never been to Saudi Arabia, go out and talk about it as if they’ve lived there for 30 years, 40 years. In honor of the team’s historic win, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered a national public holiday for a day on Wednesday. Asked if Saudi Arabia would put in a bid, similar to its takeover of Newcastle United last year, Prince Abdulaziz didn’t confirm nor deny.

☆ After rocky buildup, football ready to grab World Cup spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

As host of the Middle East's first World Cup the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is expected to welcome a star-studded guest list of celebrities and political leaders including Saudi Arabia's crown prince and the presidents of Egypt and Algeria. The controversy that has long surrounded the decision to award the tiny Gulf state the World Cup has built to a crescendo ahead of the tournament, with unrelenting scrutiny of its treatment of migrant workers and the LGBT+ community. "We are ready," Hakeem Ahmad told Reuters as he entered the stadium with his wife and two children. "Whatever happens on the pitch, the world should look kindly on us today. "We hope that after today people will see Qatar in a different light, for who we really are.

The 2022 World Cup has been dogged by controversy since Qatar was announced as the first Middle East nation, and Gulf absolute monarchy, to host it. But a successful World Cup is far from guaranteed. Dorsey said Qatar could use a successful World Cup as a springboard to reform. "This is the first ever World Cup in the region. This is a big, big deal," said Mahjoob Zweiri, director of the Gulf Studies Centre at Qatar University.

☆ S&P upgrades Qatar's credit rating on shrinking debt burden
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 4 (Reuters) - Ratings agency S&P on Friday raised Qatar's long-term sovereign credit rating to "AA" from "AA-", citing improvements in the government's fiscal position. "Qatar's debt interest costs as a share of government revenue have fallen, and we expect them to remain low because the government is repaying maturing debt," the agency said in a statement. read moreS&P believes that higher oil prices should result in strong government surpluses in 2022-2023. read moreS&P said Qatar government's revenue stream will substantially increase by the North Field Expansion, which is part of the world's biggest gas field that Qatar shares with Iran. Reporting by Vansh Agarwal in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN —England manager Gareth Southgate has a lot on his plate as the World Cup in Qatar grows ever closer. All this as he prepares for the first World Cup held mid-season. Moreover, this is a World Cup – starting on November 20 – which has been dogged by a number of human rights issues. It’s what we’re there to do.”On England’s chances of winning the World Cup, Southgate said: “There are some complications with how regular some of our important players are playing. That’s where you’ll always be judged as an international manager.”On their chances of winning the World Cup, Southgate adds: “There are some complications with how regular some of our important players are playing.

☆ Australian players call out Qatar's human rights record ahead of World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Australia's national soccer team spoke out against World Cup host Qatar's record on human rights and same-sex relationships in a video released on Thursday, adding to criticism of the country in the weeks ahead of the tournament. Qatar, the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, has come under intense international pressure for its treatment of foreign workers and restrictive social laws. A separate statement from Football Australia, the peak soccer body, on Thursday acknowledged reforms but said the games had been associated "with suffering for some migrant workers and their families." Disquiet over the country's human rights record has led to calls for teams and officials to boycott the games. Australia will play against France, Denmark and Tunisia after the World Cup kicks off on Nov. 20.

☆ Qatar faced unprecedented criticism over hosting World Cup, emir says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Qatar has faced unprecedented criticism since winning the bid to host the 2022 World Cup, some of which amounted to slander, its ruler, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, said on Tuesday. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterQatar, the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, has come under intense international criticism for its treatment of foreign workers and restrictive social laws. Qatar expects 1.2 million visitors during the tournament, creating an unprecedented logistical and policing challenge for the tiny Gulf Arab state. Sheikh Tamim said hosting the World Cup was "a great test for a country the size of Qatar". The World Cup would allow Qatar to showcase its economic and institutional strength and cultural identity, he said.

☆ Russia's Putin in Kazakhstan for meetings of regional bodies
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ASTANA, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kazakhstan on Thursday to attend meetings of several regional bodies, a Kazakh government source told Reuters. Putin is set to attend the summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) on Thursday alongside a number of Asian leaders, including Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan. Putin is expected to have two-way meetings with Erdogan and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Tamara Vaal; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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