It is a year since the Arab quartet of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt severed ties with Qatar. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo
It is a year since the Arab quartet of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt severed ties with Qatar. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo

A year on, the quartet stands firm against Doha aggression



Exactly a year ago today, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt simultaneously severed diplomatic ties with Qatar over its funding of international terrorism. Today, the Arab quartet remains steadfast amid Doha's flagrant disregard for the stability and interests of its regional neighbours. While initial hopes might have been that matters would be resolved within weeks or months, that illusion quickly dissipated as the gravity and scale of the latest in a series of incidents became apparent. No attempt has been made to meet the quartet's 13 demands, which included severing ties with Iran and withdrawing support for the Muslim Brotherhood. The quartet has expressed a willingness to restore relations under the right circumstances but it will stand firm against Qatar's unwillingness to heed its concerns. Qatar was clearly unprepared for the patient resolve of its neighbours.

The boycott's aim has always been to hold Qatar's leadership to account for its actions, not punish ordinary Qataris, many of whom share much in common with their neighbours. Indeed, Doha's intransigence is causing its people to suffer most, whether from rising prices for their goods or fewer routes on which to travel. International companies and professionals are leaving in droves, as Qatar looks increasingly isolated. Qatar Airways made a "substantial" loss in its last financial year, its chief executive admitted last month. As UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said last week: "The basic lesson learnt is the dominance of an impossible political ambition over the public interest."

Over the past year, much of Doha's reckless behaviour has been laid bare. Senior members of the Qatari government were photographed at the wedding of the son of Abdulrahman Al Nuaimi, labelled a leading financer of terror by the US and UN. Qatari jets have flown alongside UAE civilian planes in five shameful acts of intimidation. Doha has stepped up its campaign of misinformation and fake news to discredit its neighbours while the contentious decision to award Qatar the 2022 Fifa World Cup has become a full-blown bribery and corruption scandal. And last month 70 Iranian officials and businessmen travelled to Doha to reaffirm bilateral co-operation. This is not the behaviour of a country intent on mending its ways.

And yet a year in, the future looks daunting for Qatar, which cannot hope for the boycott to be eased unless it significantly amends its behaviour. In that time, there have been positive signs it is taking effect. For instance, Bahrain's foreign minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed said terrorist activities in his country have decreased since it began. Doha's persistence in perpetuating the crisis with its stubbornness and isolationism will mean that in the end, it is the people of Qatar who will suffer.

The Bio

Name: Lynn Davison

Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi

Children: She has one son, Casey, 28

Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite Author: CJ Sansom

Favourite holiday destination: Bali

Favourite food: A Sunday roast

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The bio:

Favourite film:

Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.

Favourite holiday destination:

Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.

Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.

Favourite pastime:

Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.

Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.

Personal motto:

Declan: Take chances.

Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.

 

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

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At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Director: Venkat Prabhu
Rating: 2/5
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Sui Dhaaga: Made in India

Director: Sharat Katariya

Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav

3.5/5

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills