Doha Park 2011

Date:	Oct 06, 2011 to Nov 07, 2011
Venue:	Near Doha Exhibition Center
Audience:	Citizens and Residents, Visitors, Families, Media

Doha Park is the largest festival of the year, bringing family-friendly entertainment to Doha from October 13 to November 18.
The festival will feature more than 100 events and attractions, including:

• Amusement park
• International circus
• Theatrical plays
• Concerts
• 3D cinema
• Music performances
• Cartoon personalities
• Play area for children under the age of 10
• 107 shops
• 24 restaurants

Organizers hope the event will attract tourists from across the GCC region. Doha Park is organized by the Qatar Tourism Authority, with support from diverse sponsors.
Tickets are available online or through Virgin Megastores. For more information, visit doha-park.com.


Original Link: Hukoomi Site.

Qatar Olympic Committee Welcomes IOC 2020 Applicant City Shortlist

This Website support Qatar's Bid for 2020 Olympics. Long Live QATAR!!!!

Qatar Olympic Committee [QOC] General Secretary H.E. Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman today welcomed news from the International Olympic Committee that Doha has been confirmed as an Applicant City for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.


H.E. Sheikh Saoud said: “Today’s announcement by the IOC that Doha has been officially confirmed as an Applicant City for the 2020 Games is wonderful news for the people of Qatar and the entire Middle East.  Our team will be working tirelessly on all aspects of our bid and hosting concept all the way through to the IOC Executive Board meeting in May 2012 when we hope to be confirmed as a 2020 Candidate City and then all the way to the IOC Session in September 2013.  We want to build on what we have achieved in sport in recent years as we set out our plans to the Olympic Family

 
 “To have the opportunity to host the first ever Games in the Middle East will have a profound impact not just on sports development throughout the region, but also in encouraging a greater bridge between the Middle East and the wider international community. Doha already has significant experience in hosting international events and, of course, that experience will grow further when Doha hosts 8,000 athletes during the Arab Games 2011 this December.
 

 “The IOC Executive Board has shown great vision in allowing us to bid to host the Games outside the traditional date window and we will do all we can to show why that was the right decision.”

Source: http://www.qfa.com.qa/qatar-olympic-committee-welcomes-ioc-2020-applicant-city-shortlist.aspx

December 18 - Qatar National Day Celebration

Qatar marks its National Day on December 18 to commemorate the historic event of December 18, 1878, when Sheikh Jassem bin Mohamed al-Thani, founder of the state, assumed power. Law No. 61  was issued in 2007, announcing the day of Sheikh Jassem bin Mohamed al-Thani’s assumption of power as the National Day. Earlier Qatar used to observe the occasion on September 3, to commemorate September 3, 1971, when it declared independence from being a protectorate of the UK.

Qatar ‘is fastest growing economy in the WORLD'

Qatar is currently the fastest growing economy in the world with a compounded average real GDP growth of 15.7% during 2006-10, QNB Capital has said in its latest report.
According to QNB Capital, large investments made by the State in the natural gas and other sectors have ensured rapid growth and diversification of the economy. The benefits of this have also stimulated activities in the private sector, which along with increased government spending have ensured strong growth also in the non-oil and gas sector. The non-oil and gas sector witnessed a compounded average growth of 16.4% during 2006-10.
QNB Capital forecasts that Qatar will continue to be the fastest growing global economy in 2011 with an estimated real GDP growth of 21.0%. The forecasts are based on further expansion in natural gas and related sectors as well as the non-oil and gas sectors.
The oil and gas sector will be one of the main driving forces for GDP in 2011 with an expected growth of 29.5%.
The key individual driver within this sector will be natural gas, which is expected to witness a substantial growth in 2011 with LNG production capacity already reaching 77mn tonnes, from 62mn tonnes in 2010.  Condensate production (including GTL) is estimated to reach 685,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2011, from 396,500 bpd in 2010. Pipeline gas is estimated to reach 4bn cubic feet per day in 2011 through the Dolphin and Al Khalij projects.
Also supporting growth for the economy is the crude oil sector with an average estimated production of 800,000 bpd in 2011 from 780,000 bpd in 2010. Although oil production capacity has reached over 1mn barrels per day (bpd) in 2011, output is restricted due to output targets set out by OPEC.   
The non-oil and gas sector is expected to grow by 14.1% in 2011, driven mainly by manufacturing, financial services and a rebound in the construction sector.
The manufacturing sector will get a major boost with extensive expansion in petrochemicals mainly through Q-Chem II, Qatofin, Ras Laffan ethylene cracker, and additional capacity at Qapco. Sound monetary policy will help both the financial services sector and the construction sector, as lower interest rates will support credit growth, QNB Capital said. 
Further, the government’s commitment to spending and economic stimulus will form a back-bone of confidence for the private sector. The 2011-12 State budget has allocated around $16bn for projects in infrastructure, education, youth welfare, and healthcare. Projects with an estimated value of $185bn are expected to be carried out in the coming ten years.
This along with strategic external investments by the State will provide additional diversification opportunities and sustain economic growth for many years to come, the report said.

Source: Gulftimes.com

Exit permits from services centres

The Ministry of Interior has announced that exit permits can henceforth be obtained from any of its immigrations service offices in different districts of the country .

“To make it easy for exit permit applicants, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has activated issuance of exit permits for expatriates and Qatari minors in all services centres spread across the country,” a spokesman said.
Apart from the Passports and Airport Security Department, services centres in  Al-Khor, Mesaiemeer, Al-Shahaniya, HMC, Q-Post, Industrial Area, Al-Shamal, Al-Wakrah, Souq Waqif, Umm Salal, Al-Dhayin and Dukhan will issue exit permits for expatriates and Qatari minors, said the director of Unified Services Centre (USD) Colonel Abdullah Ali Al-Sulaiti.
This is in addition to the facility to apply electronically through e-government portal and self-service kiosks of the MoI spread across the country.  Exit permits for single travel and multiple travels will be issued from the services centres.

For this purpose, filled in application forms available at  the MoI website, with authorised signature shall be submitted along with original ID of the sponsor or establishment card of the company and the passport copy of the sponsored persons. Fee for single travel permit is QR10 and for multiple travels QR500 to be paid by bank cards.
The assistant director of Information Systems Department of the Ministry, Colonel Abdul Rahman al-Maliki said that the exit permits applications can be submitted  electronically also through the e-government web portal or MoI self-service kiosks. These kiosks are available at 11 locations in different parts of the county in shopping complexes and malls such as Lulu Hypermarket, Villaggio Mall and Landmark. The Ministry is planning more kiosks in different locations, he added.    

Using smart cards, individuals and authorised representatives of companies can obtain exit permits electronically and it is password protected to ensure authorisation. After keying in the password, the applicant shall select the exit permit service and furnish the Qatari ID of the travelling person. The system will extract the information and issue the permit.

New maintenance plan for mosques in Qatar

Date:	Aug 11, 2011
Category:	News
Source:	Qatar News Agency

The Maintenance Section of the Mosques Department at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs “Awqaf” are studying plans to develop maintenance work of mosques in light of their increase in the State of Qatar. The number of mosques in Qatar has reached 1600 in addition to another 81 under construction and 77 permits ready to build mosques in different locations.
Head of Maintenance Section Abdullah Ali Al Mudahki said that the plan, dubbed Qatar Mosques 2022, was designed to meet the needs, in terms of mosques, of Qatar's growing population.
He said that the plan considers quality and encourages creativity through constructive competition and ease of communication between all sectors of the society.
The plan includes building three maintenance sub-offices in Doha, Al Khor and Al Rayyan, Al-Mudahki said, adding that the offices will help de-centralize maintenance work.
He said that the office in Doha will provide a service to 545 mosques, while the ones in Al Khor and Al Rayyan will service 332 and 736 mosques respectively.

Source: Hukoumi Website

Dates the Sweetest Fruits during Ramadan Season

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is a palm in the genus Phoenix, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. Although its place of origin is unknown because of long cultivation, it probably originated from lands around the Persian Gulf.^[1] It is a medium-sized plant, 15–25 m tall, growing singly or forming a clump with several stems from a single root system. The leaves are 3–5 m long, with spines on the petiole, and pinnate, with about 150 leaflets; the leaflets are 30 cm long and 2 cm wide. The full span of the crown ranges from 6 to 10 m.

See Wikepedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_dactylifera

Realty market set to grow ahead of 2022 World Cup

Qatar is expected to see strong growth prospects in its residential property market, ahead of 2022 FIFA World Cup, despite the ongoing low transactions, according to Asteco.“Based on our latest residential market report, the outlook for Qatar’s residential property market is positive. This can be attributed to its stable political environment, its strong economy, and the developments planned in preparation for the World Cup in 2022, which will transform the face of Qatar,” Elaine Jones, CEO, Asteco Property Management, said.

 
Finding that modest leasing activity characterises Qatar’s property sector over the second quarter (Q2) of this year, the Asteco report said overall average apartment rents in Qatar ranged from QR4,000 per month to QR14,000 for two-bedroom properties showing little change from the first quarter (Q1).
Rents remained stable, particularly in apartment rental areas such as Al Sadd and the Pearl-Qatar, with average two-bedroom apartment rents of QR6,250 a month and QR13,000 respectively, showing no movement from Q1 2011. The one and three bedroom market saw rent increase in a number of areas, it said, adding the majority of the enquiries are from people working in large corporations that are expanding or beginning new operations in Qatar.

Observing that leasing activity on Pearl-Qatar is strong and rents have remained stable since the previous quarter, it said “the slowdown in new units coming to the market has been one of the contributing factors to the stabilisation, coupled with Pearl-Qatar beginning to emerge as the preferred choice to live due to its contemporary living style and increased amenities as development phases continue.”

The activity on the Pearl-Qatar is set to strengthen in the coming months as new retail outlets come on line, Asteco said, adding Spinneys is expected to take up a temporary space by August, which will remove the necessity to travel to West Bay for grocery shopping and result in an increase of demand.
Although villa rentals remained steady, there were some marginal increases in prices in Al Dafna, it said. “This ongoing popularity is attributed to various factors including strong employment opportunities, the prevalence of large individual villas and beach access, with the area attracting senior expatriate staff, wealthy Qataris and diplomats,” it added.

Finding that sales transactions within residential sector in Qatar were low over the last quarter, it said “a gap remains between primary and secondary prices, although primary prices have stabilised and in some cases marginal increases in secondary process have been seen.”
Most prospective buyers are Western expatriates, GCC residents and there have been some enquiries from Qatari nationals who are primarily looking at distress properties, Asteco said.
In the commercial property sector, it said office rental rates showed a marginal decline of 3% over the previous quarter, but some areas have remained strong, including the B Ring Road area, which saw an increase of QR5 per square metre.

In September 2009, the Urban Planning Authority barred the use of residential villas as commercial office space and this is still leading to a large number of businesses and companies to relocate into commercial district, which results in a slowdown in the decrease of rental rates.
“In addition, the drop in rental rates has generates as increase in demand for office space, particularly for Grade A office stock mostly located in the Business district,” the report said.

The Pearl Qatar

  

Average apartment rent (qr/pm)
LOCATION    1 BR       2 BR       3 BR
Al Sadd          4,750    6,250       7,375
Bin Mahmoud 4,000    5,500       7,125
Al Muntazah   3,500   5,000       6,250
Najma             3,500   5,000       6,500
West Bay/Dafna 7,000 9,750 13,250
Al Mamoura    4,250   5,500    6,375
Bin Omran      4,250   5,500    6,250
Old Airport    4,750    6,250    6,500
Pearl-Qatar   9,500   13,000  16,250

Qatar's New Stadiums and New Infrastructure for 2022 FIFA World Cup

Qatar’s World Cup strategy includes continued infrastructure development, which will not only enable visitors and residents to enjoy the tournament, but will provide the foundation for future growth and national development.
Qatar has pledged to spend as much as $70 billion to build and expand a world-class infrastructure network. Although much of Qatar’s road network was built during the past 10 years, the government has committed $20 billion to expanding the network until 2016. These commitments include major new roads connecting the New Doha International Airport to all cities in Qatar, and also the new motorway to neighboring Bahrain by 2015.
Air transport capacity is also set to dramatically increase when New Doha International Airport opens and replaces the current international airport in 2012. With two new runways expanding capacity for handling both passenger arrivals (from 15 million passengers per year, to 50 million), and freight traffic (from 360,000 tons, to 2 million), Qatar will be in the position to accommodate the influx of air passengers which can be as high as 60,000 to 80,000 in the ten hours before and after matches.
For the first time, Qatar is also developing a world-class rail network after Qatar Railways Company (RAIL) and Deutsche Bahn signed a $26 billion agreement in 2009. The agreement set out a joint venture to construct an environmentally friendly and attractive metro network in Doha, with four lines connecting 98 stations across 300 kilometres. Depending on the need, the lines will run through tunnels, at ground level and as an overhead railway, and will connect major locations such as New Doha Airport, the Lusail City urban development area, Education City and West Bay.
The agreement also set out plans for a long-distance network that will provide mobility for passengers and freight, with links to neighboring countries Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The long-distance network will include a 180-kilometer long high-speed line to Bahrain, with a top speed of 350 km/h, and a 100 km passenger transport line to Saudi Arabia with speeds of up to 200 km/h. In all, the plans call for 325 km freight transport network, with 270 km used by passenger services.
Finally, Qatar’s World Cup strategy envisions the construction of over 55,000 hotel additional hotel rooms to manage the influx of World Cup guests. There are already plans to double the supply of rooms in hotels and guest apartments by 2022 to cover the everyday requirements of an economy, and the government, as part of its Qatar National Vision 2030 economic diversification policies, intends to contribute substantial investment in excess of $17 billion in the next five years alone to add to Qatar’s existing 45,000 hotel rooms. The Qatari government has also pledged to construct 64 “team base camp” facilities, which include 32 hotels and 32 training sites to accommodate every team.

Al Gharafa Stadium

Al Khor Stadium

Al Rayan Stadium

Al Shamal Stadium

Al Shamal Stadium

Al Wakrah Stadium

 

 

 

 Photos taken from: WAN

Ramadan in Coming, Register now for Hajj Online

Residents who plan to go to Hajj from Qatar are required to apply online before Ramadan. The number of people allowed to make pilgrimage to Mecca is determined by Saudi Arabia. The Hajj Committee of Qatar then regulates the quota it receives for the country.

For more info and registration procedure, kindly visit this link [CLICK ME]

New deluxe hotel opens

Senior executives from Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH) recently congregated at Corp Executive Hotel Doha Suites to celebrate the soft opening of the hotel.
Ahmad Ali al-Kuwari, Chairman, Al Kuwari International Group and owner of Corp Executive Hotel Doha Suites welcomed the delegation with a heartfelt speech. He observed: “Qatar is increasingly positioning itself as first-class financial and tourism destination in the region. This presents us with a unique opportunity that’s driving demand for quality hotels. Corp Executive Hotels is an outstanding brand specially designed for business travellers and we are delighted to be the first ones to flag it off in Qatar.” Al Kuwari International Group has several other projects under development.
Michel Noblet, President & CEO, HMH thanked the hosts for their warm welcome and hospitality and said: “The resilience of Qatari market in the face of the global slowdown has everything to do with the growth of the country’s economy. In just the first quarter of this year, Qatar has attracted over 1.8 million visitors which highlights the hotel sector’s potential. We are truly glad to be in this booming destination and are keen to develop more hotels.”
The evening highlights included a show-around of the newly opened deluxe hotel conveniently located just 5 minutes from Doha International Airport and Doha Corniche. The hotel offers 60 luxurious suites equipped with outstanding facilities and the latest technology including dual-line phones and voice messaging, high speed Internet connections, digital flat screen LCD televisions and satellite channels among other features.
The hotel has two restaurants, conference facilities, business centre, a roof-top swimming pool, male and female Moroccan bath and steam room and a fully-equipped gym.

Fifa World Cup 2022 Host Country

The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup bid is the successful proposal from the government of Qatar to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Qatar, with a population of 1.69 million people, will be the first Arab state to host the World Cup.^[1] Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, son of the present Emir of Qatar, was the chairman of the bid committee.^[2] Qatar promoted their hosting of the tournament as representing the Arab World, and has drawn support from across the member states of the Arab League. They also positioned their bid as an opportunity to bridge the gap between the Arab World and the West.^[3]
Qatar gave a feel of what the World Cup would be like by holding a friendly match between Brazil and Argentina.^[4] Furthermore, people coming from different nations visited Qatar for this match and strengthened the image Qatar would depict of their interest in the World Cup 2022. Additionally, Qatar hosted the 2011 Asian Cup which had the lowest attendance for the cup in 11 years, since the tournament was held in Lebanon.^[5] It was considered a warm-up for 2022.
President of FIFA Sepp Blatter endorsed the idea of having a World Cup in the Arab World, saying in April 2010, "The Arabic world deserves a World Cup. They have 22 countries and have not had any opportunity to organise the tournament." Blatter also praised Qatar's progress, "When I was first in Qatar there were 400,000 people here and now there are 1.6 million. In terms of infrastructure, when you are able to organise the Asian Games (in 2006) with more than 30 events for men and women, then that is not in question."^[6] On 2 December 2010, it was announced that Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.<sup>[7]

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_2022_FIFA_World_Cup_bid</sup>

Rental rate ‘declined in second quarter’

Weak demand growth and a continuous rise in supply have led to a “slight” ease in rents in Qatar in the second quarter (Q2) of this year, according to a Century 21 report.
The report also found that mid and long-term returns of real estate projects over the next few years are “feasible” despite the current imbalance of supply and demand.
“Overall, change in apartment rental rates over the months of Q2 was slightly negative,” it said.
The highest declines were seen in Bin Omran (more than 4%) while areas such as Al Matar and Bin Mahmoud saw a positive growth of 2% and 1% respectively, it said.
The average growth of apartment rental rates in the entire areas understudy has registered a positive 5% increase during April 2011 and two consecutive declines in the next months (May and June) at 1% and 5%, respectively, Century 21 said, adding, hence, apartment rents declined 1% in Doha over Q2 of this year.
“Rent declines are expected to continue over the next two months (summer vacation), while activity will rise after the end of the Holy month of Ramadan and before the start of school season,” it said.
However, villa rents have seen a better performance than apartments where some villa areas saw growth of rents; it said observing that the highest decline in rents was seen in Ain Khaled and Muraikh at 8% and 6% respectively, while Al Waab area saw the highest growth at 7%.
Overall, change in villa rents over Q2 recorded an increase of 1% in April and two consecutive declines of 1% during May and June. Hence, villa rents in Doha declined 1% between April and June 2011, it said.
On real estate transactions, it found that the total value recorded during Q2 of this year reached approximately QR7bn over 12 weeks starting from the beginning of April 2011. The last four weeks (May 29th to June 25th) have seen QR2.3bn in real estate purchases registered which is a relatively high figure.
Exceptional transactions at high prices were seen more often in investment areas such as Al Sadd, Bin Mahmoud and Al Dafnah. In addition, the market witnessed a number of deals to sell commercial and residential multi-storey buildings, of which one tower at least in the West Bay area, it said.
“Though growing continuously, the volume of real estate transactions remains modest as transactions are limited to local traders while foreign investments are yet to come,” it said.
On the commercial office rental market, Century 21 said high volume of supply and the continuous delivery of office space in the market are “still casting a long shadow over office rental rates”.
Leasing rates have seen declines of 2% on a monthly basis over the months of Q2 2011. In total, office leasing rates saw almost 9% decline since the beginning of the year, it said, adding slow growth of demand is also delaying recovery of the commercial real estate sector.
However, the government is still trying to lend a hand to property owners by leasing their properties on a long term basis, it found.
Despite the current imbalance of supply and demand, studies indicate that mid and long-term returns of project over the next few years are feasible, thanks to government plans and a broad economic recovery anticipated.
“It is anticipated that the next months, after the seasonal holidays, demand will improve and a better performance will be witnessed in the office space sector,” the report said.


Link:  http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=445453&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

Investors gain QR41.97bn as DSM soars

Investors on the Qatari bourse became richer by a staggering over $11bn (QR41.97bn) in a single trading day yesterday as stocks rallied massively on reports of the government pumping an incredible QR15bn into the local banking system.

The 20-share main index of the bourse, the Doha Securities Market (DSM), shot up more than 390 points in a tizzy, to almost reach the 7,000-mark (6,981). The rise in percentage terms was 5.92.

“Banking is a key sector on the Qatari bourse so the impact of the state support has been so overwhelming,” said analyst

Thamer Hssan.

The counters have the potential to impact all other sectors, he added.

Reopening after weekly closure, during which the key government announcement came, the bourse witnessed feverish demand, pushing the lenders’ stocks up by a record 7.65 percent.

Doha Bank led the gainers on the index with a 9.97 percent jump. Qatar Islamic Bank trailed in with a marginally less percentage gain in an overall rally which analysts attributed to the state setting up a QR15bn ($4.1bn) fund to buy banks’ property portfolios.

This is the third time since the onset of the global recession late last year that the state has propped up listed banks pumping billions of riyals into the system. The latest support is aimed at pushing more liquidity into the banking industry so that lending to the real estate sector

is not affected.

The move aims at making sure that the record growth levels the national economy has been witnessing might not get adversely impacted, even slightly, due to the slowdown in the real
estate sector.

As a result, real estate stocks also rose on the back of increased demand. Barwa and Qatar Real Estate showed advances by more than five and six percent, respectively. Industrial counters witnessed the second largest increase after the banking stocks, while the insurance sector advanced a little more than two percent.

Trading value soared to breach the QR1bn-mark (QR1.19bn). It normally hovers around QR500m to QR600m levels. Trading volumes were close to the 40 million mark.

More than 15,400 deals were concluded by the close of trading. “This is one of the highest rallies on the DSM this year, the last being early in March,” said Hassan. “You can see that 37 of the 38 stocks that were traded yesterday were up.”

Original Article from: The Peninsula

Qatar to record highest GDP growth in world

Qatar’s per capita income has crossed the magical $70,000-mark making it one of the top 10 wealthiest nations in the world.

The country is also poised to report the highest economic growth in the world for the current year, says a prominent Kuwait-based financial

research firm.

Global Investment House said in a country report yesterday, quoting Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA), that Qatar’s per capita income was lifted to a record $70,630 as nominal gross domestic product (GDP) soared to a landmark QR372.4bn ($102.3bn) for 2008 with a growth of 44 percent. While Qatar Central Bank (QCB) estimates suggest a seven to nine percent economic growth for the current year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts real GDP growth at 15 to 18 percent.

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), on the other hand, projects real GDP growth of 13.4 percent, said Global. “According to such estimates, Qatar is on the way to reporting the highest economic growth in the world
for 2009.”

Original Article from: The Peninsula

Qatar Airways allays fears over swine flu

Qatar Airways has assured passengers that is taking all measures to tackle health concern over the swine flu.
Qatar Airways has taken several steps to tackle health concerns following the recent outbreak of swine flu in Mexico.
Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar al- Baker said: “The health and wellbeing of all our passengers and employees is of paramount importance and Qatar Airways in no way compromises the safety of any individual.
“Passengers should be reassured that modern aircraft have very advanced air filtration systems which ensure a high level of air quality despite the confined environment they travel in.”
Qatar Airways has been working closely with health authorities in Qatar and monitoring developments with international health organisations and governments around the world in order to be able to take the most appropriate measures.
Since April 27, Qatar Airways has mandated that all flight deck and cabin crew wear masks on flights originating from the United States – namely daily services from New York, Washington DC and Houston.
The airline has taken additional mandatory measures for all 1,100 flight deck and 3,400 cabin crew in the company to be vaccinated against influenza to limit the risk of contamination to passengers and staff. The flu vaccine is a protective measure and only protects against a certain strain of flu, not swine flu, which is at the centre of the current health concerns.
Passengers on Qatar Airways’ flights originating from the US are being given masks upon boarding and advised to wear them on board. In addition, all Qatar Airways’ customer contact staff in the United States and at Doha International Airport are required to wear masks.
If prior to boarding in the US or during transit in Doha, passengers are identified as having flu or fever-like symptoms, they will be referred to a local medical centre to determine their suitability to travel.
The airline’s decision has been taken to control the potential transmission of the virus to fellow passengers and crew onboard.
Al-Baker said that the airline took these unconditional measures at an early stage in the full interests of the public.
“There is absolutely no compromise for the safety of any individual, whether they are travelling or not. As an airline we are fully responsible for the safety of our passengers, crew and ground staff, but also as the national carrier of the State of Qatar, we have a responsibility to reduce the risk of exposure to people living and working in the country.”
“Qatar Airways strongly recommends that in the best interests of fellow travellers, passengers refer to information available through international health authorities, including the World Health Organisation, at www.who.int prior to travelling. In addition, individual countries are issuing their own travel advisories.”
Qatar Airways Head of Medical Services Dr Soha al-Bayat added: “In light of the current situation, it is vital for people to observe strict personal hygiene controls to protect themselves and those around them.
“If passengers develop fever or flu-like symptoms, they are advised to consult their doctor or medical practitioner straightaway. Symptoms of this A (H1N1) particular strain of flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigue,” she said.
Health authorities around the world have advised that in the interests of personal hygiene, people should cover their mouths when coughing and sneezing; avoid touching their eyes and nose in case the virus has been transmitted, and frequently wash their hands.

Gulf Times

Emir maps way out of crisis

The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani yesterday said the right way to deal with the current economic crisis is to acknowledge and correct past errors.

“The solution lies not in abandoning the market laws and free trade or to resort to selective protectionist measures or to reject planning entirely, but the solution as is the case with each crisis, lies in striking a balance between responsibility and freedom, between market laws, and public social responsibility,” the Emir said in his address to the 9th Doha Forum on Democracy, Development and Free Trade, that opened at the Doha-Sheraton last evening. He also said the crisis has exceeded what is usually foreseen and expected of the market activity, from expansion to deflation. “It has gone out of control and has turned into a dangerous hurricane that threatens beyond our imagination,” he said.

The crisis is not a natural catastrophe like a hurricane or earthquake, but a result of human policies, miss-planning, excessive self confidence, desire to get rich quickly, and mixing the necessary loans needed for production and consumption with borrowing for speculations that exceed the gross production, the Emir said.

“What happened was a result of confusing beneficial investment in the stock exchange with gambling. It was also a result of turning away from the fundamentals of sound economy that is based on labour, production, market, and profit,” he said. He added that what is more dangerous than the economic crisis is the cultural and moral crisis which would not have been taken seriously by some people, had this critical crisis not happened.

The culture of consumption and getting rich quickly without production, he said, has spread out and turning speculations into a norm in the same developed countries in which the extent of the financial catastrophe was suddenly revealed.

The Emir also pointed out that the state should interfere in a crisis of such a magnitude and adopt new laws to monitor the activities of banks and financial institutions in general.

“However, there should be a warning against this interference turning into a wrong attempt to put the blame on others or on the principle of free trade itself on the one hand or in exaggerations in defending all its negative aspects and those of the banking system on the other,” he said warning against protectionist measures as a way out of the crisis. He said such measures would hinder international efforts to face the crisis and its repercussions.

Historically the crises had a corrective effect on the course of economy when producers and decision makers collaborated in drawing the correct conclusions, and not by looking for sedatives and painkillers that would mitigate the symptoms while the ailment aggravates, the Emir said.

The Peninsula

Lisbon links

HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani being welcomed by Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates upon his arrival at Sao Bento Palace in Lisbon yesterday.

They attended the signing of a joint statement to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries, an agreement to encourage and protect mutual investments, and a memorandum of understanding between Qatar Olympic Committee and the Olympic Committee of Portugal.

Original Article from : Gulf Times

QCB official hails Qatar monetary policy

The US dollar is expected to fall again by 2010 triggering up inflation rates in the Gulf states, a top Qatar Central Bank official said in Doha yesterday.
“This will happen by 2010-end when the global financial crisis is likely to reach its end in the US,” said Khaled Rashed al-Khater, director of the department of research and monetary policy at QCB.
About the repercussions of the global financial crisis on the US, the official predicted that the dollar will lose its position as the international reserve currency in the long-run, saying that the US share of the world output would decline in the coming years.
“There will be a shift of weight of world demand for oil from the US to China, India, and other countries. The current rally of the US dollar is temporary. It is expected to depreciate in the medium-run by no less than 20%,” he said.
Qatar’s proven resilient banking system amid the current financial turmoil as well as its “credible and independent” monetary policy make it “very eligible” to host the planned common Gulf central bank, the senior official said.
Speaking at a lecture yesterday at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar, al-Khater said that Qatar’s independent monetary policy as well as its resilient banking system made it very eligible to be the hosting country of the Gulf central bank.
“We are very eligible. We have a credible monetary policy. We conducted many researches on monetary union and inflation in the Gulf states. At a time when all the Gulf states followed the US Fed cutting the interest, Qatar was the only country among the group which did not follow the US Fed. We also do not have a problem with our banking system or the availability of liquidity,” al-Khater said.
Gulf leaders are due to meet in Saudi Arabia next month to decide on the location of the common central bank which is expected to administer the planned monetary union which will culminate in the single Gulf currency.
However, al-Khater ruled out the possibility that the Gulf states would be able to meet the 2010 deadline for the single currency.
“It is unlikely or impossible to launch the single currency in 2010. The plans for the monetary union have started but still need more effort to meet the criteria,” he said.
Asked whether the QCB would interfere in the local banks policies regarding overseas investment, the official stressed that the central bank would not impose any restrictions on local banks about their investment choices, saying that such decisions were up to the banks.
“This is free economy and free market. Of course there are regulations that banks should abide by, but we do not interfere in their investment policies,” he added.
The expert also admitted that there was a decline in the cash inflow for Qatar, saying that this was due to shortage of liquidity in the entire world.
About Qatar’s monetary policy, al-Khater hailed it as “credible and independent”, saying that Qatar’s banking sector was among the least affected and the most resilient in the region during the current global financial turmoil.
“When the market bubbles burst in the region in 2006, Qatar was the least affected among its neighbours. Thanks to QCB’s pre-emptive conservative credit policy during the lending boom in 2002-03, our banking system is still the most resilient in the region,” he added.
“If we do not have an independent and credible monetary policy, we would have to follow the recent interest cut made by the Fed since we are pegged to the US dollar, but we did not,” he maintained.
He added that QCB was still ready to extend liquidity in the banking system via its collateralised and refinance-standing facilities, and direct deposit at the micro-level.
Al-Khater, who was briefing the Georgetown University School of Foreign Services on his views about the implications of the global crisis as well as Qatar’s monetary policy, also said that the implications of the financial crisis would require the Gulf states to reconsider their dollar peg arrangements in the future.

Original Article from: Gulf Times

Qatar shines amid global gloom: Expert

The World Bank warned yesterday that the global recession was going to last long and the worst has yet to come, especially in the developing countries.

The world has experienced economic shocks and there has been a contraction in trade this year, Carlos Primo Braga, Director for Economic Policy, World Bank, said during the conclusion of a conference here yesterday.

Addressing the 3rd International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development (ICTD) 2009 at the Carnegie Mellon University-Qatar, Braga, however, said the only high-growth country in these challenging times was Qatar due to its vibrant liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry.

Qatar’s efforts to put emphasis on knowledge-based economy has played a significant role in stimulating stable economic growth even in the face of the global financial crisis.

Braga said with the deepening financial crisis, several governments saw investments in Information Communication Technologies (ICT) as an integral part of recovery efforts.

“I’m happy with what I’m seeing in Qatar, which is investing in its future, not only in infrastructure, but is also concentrating in its knowledge-based economy to sustain significant growth.”

The ICT industry is better positioned to confront the crisis, said Braga. “The telecommunications service is the leading indicator of economic recovery.”

Braga concluded that e-business and ICT use will continue to expand on a global basis and their benefits can be substantial not only for business, but in also promoting trade and enhancing productivity at a macro-level.

“Convergence in e-business practices can happen, but… unless the governments provide the proper regulatory environment for private action and support efforts to expand digital literacy, with special attention to the needs of Small and Medium-size Enterprises (SME), the digital divide at the level of business practices will widen,” he said.

With more than 350 scholars, practitioners and social scientists focused on a broad range of domains from around the world, the ICTD organisers have declared the conference a success.

“ICTD2009 has already achieved great success. We are extremely pleased with the number of people who have joined us from so many places around the world. The level of excitement and quality of participation has exceeded our expectations,” said Bernardine Dias, PhD, assistant research professor of Robotics at Carnegie Mellon University and ICTD2009 Conference Chair. Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar hosted the three-day ICTD2009 conference, with the TechBridgeWorld research group.

Original Article from: The Peninsula