Qatar is trying to strike a reconciliation deal with other Gulf states while still funding terrorism, a Middle East analyst said.
Nearly four years after severing ties with Doha over its support for terrorist groups, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have been urged to ensure a commitment to ending terror financing is included in any agreement.
They imposed a boycott in 2017 over Doha’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and other terrorist groups, its strong ties with Iran and its interference in the internal affairs of its neighbours.
“As promising as reconciliation would be, the Quartet must refuse any deal that excludes Qatar's unequivocal promise to cease its profligate terrorism financing," said Jordan Cope, a US analyst with the Middle East Forum.
Mr Cope, a law student studying at the University of Texas, said the terrorism funding had destabilised an entire region.
"Restoring previous ties at any other cost would convey a renewed tolerance, and thus victory, for Islamism and its leading financiers," he wrote in Newsweek.
As sources suggest a deal brokered by the US and Kuwait could soon lead to an agreement, it was vital to maintain “not necessarily opposition to Qatar's Iran ties, but opposition to Qatar's backing of Islamism”.
Mr Cope said legitimacy was needed to restrict Iran’s nuclear programme when its uranium stockpile exceeded 12 times the limit allowed in the 2015 nuclear deal Tehran signed with world powers.
“If the Quartet's members are to condemn Iran's Islamism and sponsorship of terrorist proxies throughout the Middle East, it must likewise do so for Qatar's,” he said.
Mr Cope said the four countries had little to lose by maintaining the situation.
The article also said Qatar lacked the “military might” to exert influence over the them.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
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What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
The five pillars of Islam
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
