Abu Dhabi // The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt broke diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday and cut off air, sea and land routes over Doha’s support for “terrorist groups aiming to destabilise the region”.
In the most serious crisis to face the GCC, Saudi Arabia will close the vital land border through which Qatar imports much of its food and other commodities, and air and sea travel has also been suspended.
The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have also given Qataris 14 days to leave their countries, and diplomats 48 hours. Qataris will not be allowed to enter or transit through the UAE and Emiratis are also prevented from travel to or through Qatar.
Gulf airlines, including Etihad Airways and Emirates, will suspend all flights to and from Qatar from Tuesday. The UAE also said its airspace and territorial waters would be closed to Qatari vessels and aircraft.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the UAE had taken the measures because of Qatar's "continued support, funding and hosting of terror groups, primarily Islamic Brotherhood, and its sustained endeavours to promote the ideologies of Daesh and Al Qaeda across its direct and indirect media".
The action against Qatar immediately began to affect those living in the peninsula and across the GCC. News that Qatar’s only land border would be closed caused a rush on food and supplies in Doha supermarkets. Qatar imports 90 per cent of its food, mostly through the border with Saudi Arabia.
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Saudi and UAE cut ties with Qatar
■ Latest updates: diplomatic ties cut
■ Etihad suspends flights to Qatar
■ Markets expected to open lower over row
■ Comment: Doha needs to address contradictions
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A private sector worker in Doha said he was stocking up on his favourite foods and that people were in a state of shock.
“People are, of course, scared,” he said. “They don’t know what’s going to happen to them. People are utterly shocked — they are going frantic.”
Passengers booked on flights out of the UAE through Doha tried to rebook departures as Qatar Airways suspended all flights to the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt from Tuesday.
The UAE blamed Qatar’s “violation of the statement issued at the US-Islamic Summit in Riyadh” last month, which gave commitments to countering terrorism in the region and branded Iran a state sponsor of terrorism.
Doha’s policies “sow seeds of sedition and discord among the region’s countries”, the foreign ministry said. The statement referred to comments attributed to Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim after Donald Trump’s trip to the Saudi capital in which he criticised Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Washington’s renewed bid to contain and confront Iran.
Qatari officials claim Sheikh Tamim’s remarks were fabricated as part of an operation by hackers, but the incident led to the reopening of tensions between Qatar and its larger neighbours over its support for Islamist groups that appeared to have been settled by 2015. Qatar’s foreign ministry said: “The measures are unjustified and are based on claims and allegations that have no basis in fact.”
Tensions between Abu Dhabi and Doha over Qatar’s ties with a range of Islamist groups have simmered since 2014, when the same countries withdrew their ambassadors.
The accession of King Salman to the Saudi throne and a closer alignment under Sheikh Tamim with Riyadh’s policies in Yemen and Syria appeared to have reunified the three main powers of the GCC. But relations over Qatar’s support for Muslim Brotherhood groups never recovered.
Riyadh announced on Monday that Doha’s participation in the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen had been terminated. The Saudi foreign ministry also accused Doha of providing support for the Houthis.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government also said it had cut relations with Qatar and that it supports the decision to end Qatar’s participation in the war.
The Trump administration called for a de-escalation of the crisis and secretary of state Rex Tillerson said the developments would not affect US counterterrorism and military operations in the region.
He urged the GCC to find a solution to their differences and said the US was willing to play a mediation role.
Qatar hosts Al Udeid airbase, the forward headquarters of US Central Command, which oversees the fight against ISIL and operations in Afghanistan. It is a key component of Washington’s strategic posture in the Gulf.
Central Command said it had “no plans to change our posture in Qatar” and that US military aircraft continued to fly missions despite the rift. In announcing the action against Doha, Saudi Arabia accused Qatar of support for “terrorist groups aiming to destabilise the region” including the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIL and Al Qaeda, as well as “Iranian-backed” militants in Saudi’s eastern province and Bahrain.
The UAE also accused Qatar of failing to comply with a 2014 agreement that resolved a previous months-long dispute between GCC states over Qatar’s support of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The foreign ministry accused Doha of trying to drive a wedge between the peoples of the region and said the latest measures were for the benefit of all GCC states and the people of Qatar in particular.
“The UAE affirms its full respect and appreciation for the brotherly Qatari people on account of the profound historical, religious and fraternal ties and kin relations binding UAE and Qatari peoples,” the ministry said.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE also acted against Qatari media outlets. Saudi Arabia shut the local office of Al Jazeera, and accused the network of promoting terrorist groups and supporting rebels in Yemen.
In the UAE, beIN Sport went offline for customers of the main television service providers. Al Jazeera English and Arabic news channels and websites have been offline since the row over Sheikh Tamim’s comments began.
The scale of the crisis also reverberated globally. Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, said he was saddened by the rift, and called for dialogue to resolve the dispute. Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said Russia hopes the tensions “will not affect the general determination to fight terrorism”.
Fifa said it remained in “regular contact with Qatar” which is scheduled to host the 2022 football World Cup. However, Reinhard Grindel, head of Germany’s soccer federation and a member of Fifa’s ruling council, said: “The soccer community worldwide should agree in principle that big tournaments can’t be played in countries that actively support terror.
“We take note very attentively and with concern of the current, serious accusations.”
tkhan@thenational.ae
* Additional by Nick Webster, Saleh Al Shaibany and Ola Salem
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
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New schools in Dubai
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
WHEN TO GO:
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
The biog
Age: 23
Occupation: Founder of the Studio, formerly an analyst at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Education: Bachelor of science in industrial engineering
Favourite hobby: playing the piano
Favourite quote: "There is a key to every door and a dawn to every dark night"
Family: Married and with a daughter
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
