Saudia, Bahrain, UAE & Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar

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you better believe it does. what do you think is the objective of that maps designer?

 

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Eritrea rejects plans to cut ties with Qatar.Somalia,ethiopia stays neutral.

 

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Qatar-Gulf crisis: All the latest updates
The latest news after Arab Gulf countries cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and suspended Doha-bound flights.




SUMMARY

• Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Yemen, eastern government of Libya, Maldives, Mauritius, Mauritania, and Senegal cut diplomatic ties with Qatar
• Jordan and Djibouti downgrade diplomatic relations with Qatar
• US: No change planned for military base
• Qatari aviation, exports, banks affected

The latest developments since four Arab countries cut ties with Qatar on Monday morning. (All times local.)

To jump to the first update on Friday, click here

2:15pm - Saudi tourism ministry orders facilities to remove Al Jazeera from available TV channels

• The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage issued a circular in the early hours of Friday, ordering all "tourist facilities" to remove satellite channels that include religious, political or moral violations, including the Al Jazeera Media Network.
  
  
• The circular read: "All tourist facilities must commit to choosing the appropriate TV channels in line with the official Saudi TV channels … and not to operate channels deviant to the Islamic religion or the state's policies, or morals."
  
  
• It added: "The authority ensures the importance of removing all the 'Al Jazeera channels' from the list of available channels in rooms and other tourism accommodation facilities in order to prevent anyone who violates this circular from facing penalties, which could amount to 100,000 Saudi riyals ($26,600) or the revocation of their license, or both."
  

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1:28pm - Germany calls for an end to Qatar blockade

• German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel called for an end to the land, sea and air blockade imposed by Arab countries on Qatar after a meeting with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Wolfenbuettel, Germany.
  
  
• Gabriel also called for increased diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.
  
  
• "We are convinced that now is the hour of diplomacy and we must talk to each other," he told reporters
  
  
• "Along with our American colleagues but above all our colleagues in the region, we must try to find solutions, especially lifting the sea and air blockades," he said.
  

12:15pm - Saudi-led bloc list 'arbitrary'

• The UK-based Arab Organisation for Human Rights (AOHR) called the Saudi bloc's list "arbitrary", saying it "was clearly made up arbitrarily, to serve political agendas, without relying on any evidence or an impartial judicial authority".
  
  
• AOHR also said: "The exact legal definition and crime of 'terrorism' needs to be determined by a neutral judicial authority, which is not available in these countries [Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain]."
  
  
• The independent group also warned that the list violated clear laws against defamation, as the reputation of individuals and charitable organisations is put at risk.
  

11:45am - Qatar FM calls blockade 'violation of international law'

• Qatar's Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Friday said the blockade of his country is a violation of international law.
  
  
• "These procedures that were taken have clear violations of international law and international humanitarian law. They will not have a positive impact on the region but a negative one," he said during a joint press conference with his German counterpart during a visit to Germany.
  

11:30am - Qatar rejects Saudi-led bloc's 'terror' list

• Qatar on Friday rejected allegations of supporting individuals and groups blacklisted as "terrorists" by a bloc of Arab neighbours that has imposed an economic blockade on it amid a major diplomatic fallout.
  
  
• The Qatari government said the list of 59 people and 12 groups, with ties to Qatar, "reinforces allegations that hold no foundation".
  

10:15am - Five days on, five things to know about the Qatar-Gulf rift

• Despite mediation efforts led by Kuwait, the standoff continues five days into the dispute between Saudi and its allies, and Qatar. We look at some of the key points of the ongoing rift.
  
  
• Economic blockade: Along with the severing of diplomatic ties, a Riyadh-led blockade was imposed against Doha. Saudi, which shares the only land border with Qatar, shut the crossing and halted transport of goods into its gas-rich neighbour. Saudi, UAE and Bahrain also close their airspace to flights from and to Qatar. Qatari citizens were ordered out of the three countries and sea links were cut.
  
  
• Turkey sending troops: Following the threats made against Qatar, its close ally Turkey voted to to accelerate the deployment of troops to its base in the peninsula.
  
  
• Media attacks: As accusations heated up, Saudi signalled that it was escalating the row in the media sphere - first by shutting down the local office of the Doha-based Al Jazeera Media Network. Days before the diplomatic spat boiled over, Al Jazeera's websites were already blocked in Saudi, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.
  
  
• Trump's tweets: In the first hours of the diplomatic scuffle, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said it is important that the GCC members remain "unified". Tillerson's assurances, however, were thrown in doubt after US President Donald Trump wrote a post on social media referencing Qatar when he said leaders of the Middle East had stated that they "would take a hard line on funding extremism". He later made a phone call to Qatar's leader to offer help in resolving the crisis. Instead of diffusing the already heated situation, Trump's tweets only led to more discord.
  
  
• 'Terror list': On Thursday evening, a joint action by Saudi, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt placed 59 individuals and 12 organisations on a "terror list". It includes the Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yousuf al-Qaradawi and 18 prominent Qataris. On Friday, Qatar dismissed the list as "baseless" allegations that "hold no foundation in fact".
  
  
• Read the full story here.
  

7:15am - UAE minister calls Qatar to 'change course'

• Anwar Gargash, minister of state affairs for the United Arab Emirates accused Qatar of escalating the crisis by seeking help from Turkey and Iran.
  
  
• "The request for political protection from two non-Arab countries and military protection from one of them could be a new tragic and comic chapter," he wrote on Twitter late on Thursday.
  
  
• Gargash also called Qatar to "change its course" and "abandon its stubbornness".
  

5:30am - US senators push for strategy amid crisis

• "We've got to be concerned about putting our thumb too heavily on one side of the scale when we are dealing with people in the region we want to maintain a relationship with," Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Al Jazeera.

1:20am - Arab nations add Qatar residents, charities to 'terrorism' lists

• Four Arab countries that cut ties with Qatar designated dozens of people with alleged links to Doha as "terrorists", intensifying a row that threatens the region's stability.

• Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain said in a statement published by the Saudi state news agency that 59 people - including Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yousuf al-Qaradawi - and 12 entities, among them Qatari-funded charities, were named on the "terrorism" list.
  

01:10am - Qatar urges citizens to take high-road on social media

• Qatar's communications office issued a statement urging citizens and residents to mind "Islamic and Arab values" on social media during the standoff with Gulf neighbours.

• "Based on the principles of our true Islamic religion, our humanitarian values and our authentic Qatari culture, we call on all those who live on this good land to rise and continue to avoid responding similarly to the abuses that spread in various means of mass communication. We also call upon you to show more responsibility, of which you are well known, and not to insult countries, their leaders or peoples," the statement said.

00:55am - UN chief wades into Qatar-Gulf 'We are not ready to surrender'

• Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said the Gulf rift is threatening the stability of the entire region.
  
  
• He also said diplomacy was still Doha's preferred option and there would never be a military solution to the problem.
  
  
• Qatar had never experienced this type of hostility, even from an enemy country, he said.
  
  
• "No one has the right to intervene in our foreign policy."
  
  
• "We are not ready to surrender, and will never be ready to surrender, the independence of our foreign policy."
  
  
• He also said the Emir of Qatar would not travel to Washington for GCC crisis talks suggested by US President Donald Trump because he did not want to leave his country while it is "in blockade".
  

3:45pm - Chad recalls its ambassador from Qatar

• Chad has recalled its ambassador from Qatar with the country's foreign ministry calling involved in the Gulf diplomatic crisis to use dialogue to resolve the dispute.
  

2pm - Bahrain bans showing sympathy to Qatar

• Bahrain is warning the island's media outlets not to "publish or circulate anything that condones or justifies Qatari policies by any means".
  
  
• Bahrain's Information Affairs Ministry said on Thursday that those who do publish material sympathetic to Qatar "will be held responsible".
  
  
• "Any expression of sympathy with the government of Qatar or opposition to the measures taken by the government of Bahrain, whether through social media, Twitter or any other form of communication, is a criminal offence punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine," the ministry statement said.

1:50pm - UAE blocks access to Qatar Airways website

• The United Arab Emirates has blocked access to the website of Qatar Airways. It began on Thursday and follows the UAE blocking access to a series of Qatari media websites, including those of Al Jazeera media network.
  

1:25pm - Bahrain FM demands Doha shun Iran

• Bahrain has reiterated on Thursday a demand that Qatar distance itself from Iran and stop support for "terrorist" groups. "Qatar has to redress its path and has to go back to all previous commitments, it has to stop media campaigns and has to distance itself from our number one enemy, Iran," Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa told Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. "It has to realise its interests are with us, not with another country that conspires against us, wants to dominate and divide us. It has to stop supporting terrorist organisations, Sunni or Shia, and its policy has to be for the benefit of its people."
  

12:32pm - Pakistan to continue LNG imports from Qatar

• Pakistan's government says it will continue to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar under a 15-year $1bn deal signed last year.
  
  
• Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Pakistan's federal minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, said since no sanctions have been imposed on Qatar by the UN, Islamabad and Doha were bound to abide by the agreement.
  

11:44am - Qatari stock market rebounds

• Qatar's stock index has rebounded in early trade after losing 9.7 percent since the start of the diplomatic crisis earlier this week.
  
  
• The market was up 2.5 percent with all 17 companies that have a market capitalisation of over $1bn rebounding.
  

10:15am - UAE postal group suspends all services to Qatar

• Emirates Post Group has halted postal services to Qatar from all of its postal offices in the United Arab Emirates until further notice, the country's state news agency reported. All as yet undelivered items will be returned with the corresponding postal fees according to procedures and regulations.
  

8:00am - France's Macron calls all sides to 'pursue dialogue'

• For the second time in 24 hours, French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday held a phone conversation with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to discuss efforts to solve the crisis in the Gulf. Macron expressed France's readiness to act as a mediator and stressed the importance of dialogue in order to preserve stability in the region. The French president also spoke to Saudi King Salman and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and "invited all parties to pursue dialogue".
  

5:25am - Qatar's defence ministry plays down border report

• A news report that Qatar's military was put on high alert on the country's southern border with Saudi Arabia is downplayed. "The ministry of defence is always on alert to protect the borders of the state of Qatar from a 360-degree approach - land, sea and air - 24 hours a day, every day of the year," said a ministry statement sent to Al Jazeera.
  

3:40am - Trump calls UAE's crown prince over crisis

• US President Donald Trump spoke with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, a White House statement said. "Most importantly, the leaders agreed on the importance of implementing agreements reached in Riyadh to counter extremism and to combat the funding of terrorist groups. Additionally, the president emphasised the importance of maintaining a united Gulf Cooperation Council to promote regional stability, but never at the expense of eliminating funding for radical extremism or defeating terrorism."
  

2:30pm - Pakistan expresses concern

• Pakistan's parliament has expressed its "deep concern" over the Gulf diplomatic rift, but government stops short of taking a side.
  
  
• A resolution, passed by parliament on Thursday, called "upon all countries to show restraint and resolve all differences through dialogue".
  
  
• Nafees Zakaria, the Pakistani foreign office spokesman, also said on Thursday that "Pakistan believes in unity among Muslim countries and has made consistent and serious efforts for its promotion ... We are therefore concerned at the situation." Zakaria refused to comment on whether the country had taken any steps to mediate the crisis or was also considering severing ties with Qatar.
  
  
• Pakistan's relationship with Saudi Arabia and the UAE is based on close diplomatic ties, but also deep economic relations. In the past it has resisted pressure to wade into regional conflict in the Middle East.
  
  
• Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also holds close ties with the ruling families in both Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
  
  
• "Of all Muslim nations, Pakistan is probably in the most difficult position," James Dorsey, a specialist on Pakistan's relations with Gulf countries, told Al Jazeera

condemned Saudi Arabia's decision to close the Riyadh office of Qatar's Al Jazeera media network.

• The media rights group, also known as RSF, said Al Jazeera was a "collateral victim of (the) diplomatic offensive against Qatar".
  8:20pm - Qatar's National Committee for Human Rights demands end of sanctions

• The government body said: "Such decisions violate the private ownership rights since thousands in the GCC own residences, factories and business within the GCC and the travel ban will prevent them from attending to their business and carrying out their business and access to their properties. These sanctions also violate the citizens within the GCC their rights to health and work access."
  
• It also said: "National Committee for Human Rights in Qatar warn of more violations that may take place that can affect the peace and security of the GCC as a whole and the dangerous repercussions that these sanctions will lead to."
  

8:15pm - Trump holds a phone conversation with Qatar's Emir

• US President Donald Trump has spoken by telephone with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, expressing readiness to participate in the efforts to resolve the crisis in the GCC.
  
• The White House statement: "The president emphasised the importance of all countries in the region working together to prevent the financing of terrorist organisations and stop the promotion of extremist ideology. The president reiterated that a united Gulf Cooperation Council and a strong United States-Gulf Cooperation Council partnership are critical to defeating terrorism and promoting regional stability. The president offered to help the parties resolve their differences, including through a meeting at the White House if necessary."
  

8pm - Turkish parliament approves troop deployment in Qatar

• Turkey's parliament has approved a legislation allowing its troops to be deployed to a Turkish military base in Qatar.
  
• The bill, first drafted in May, passed with 240 votes in favour, largely with support from the ruling AK Party and nationalist opposition MHP.
  

7:50pm - Top Emirati diplomat says leaked emails were true

• Anwar Gargash, the UAE foreign minister, has acknowledged that leaked emails published by news outlets from Emirati ambassador to the US were true.
  

7:40pm - Kuwait's Emir meets two top officials in the UAE

• Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah met in Dubai with Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to try and mediate a growing diplomatic rift over Qatar. No details have emerged about their discussions.
  

7:30pm - Senegal cuts diplomatic ties with Qatar

• Senegal's foreign ministry has recalled its ambassador from Qatar, saying it was acting in solidarity with other countries in the Gulf who had cut diplomatic ties with Doha.
  

7pm - Turkey debates law for military support for Qatar

• Turkey's parliament has begun debating legislation for increased military cooperation with Qatar in an apparent move to support the country amid its dispute with Saudi Arabia and other regional nations.
  
• Separate bills for the training of military personnel and the deployment of troops to a Turkish military base in Qatar were moved up parliament's agenda on Wednesday.
  

5:10pm - Qatar brings stranded passengers from Saudi via Oman

• Qatar Airways has chartered three flights on Oman Air to bring passengers from Saudi Arabia's Jeddah to Qatar's Doha. All passengers arrived safely home via Oman's capital Muscat late on Tuesday, the airline said on Wednesday.
  
• The airline has also organised a flight with Kuwait Airlines on Wednesday to transport remaining passengers from Saudi Arabia to Doha via Kuwait. The flight will depart at 19:15 local time on Wednesday.
  
• Qatar Airways said it is supporting its staff affected by the situation in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the Kingdom of Bahrain and Egypt due to suspension of operations in those countries.
  
• All passengers booked on affected flights will be provided with alternative options, including the option of a full refund on any unused tickets and free rebooking to the nearest alternative Qatar Airways network destination.
  

5pm - Emirati diplomat: 'Nothing to negotiate' with Qatar

• Anwar Gargash, the foreign minister of the UAE, has said "there's nothing to negotiate" with Qatar, signaling Arab countries trying to isolate Doha won't back down.
  

4:15pm - France urges Qatar to answer neighbours' questions

• Christophe Castaner, the French government spokesman, said his country was not taking sides in the Gulf spat, but said "Qatar must be completely transparent and answer precisely the questions that have been asked notably by its neighbours".
  

4pm - Turkish exporters ready to meet Qatar's food, water demand

• Mehmet Buyukeksi, chairman of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), has said that exporters stood ready to fill the gap after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia cut trade ties with Qatar.
  

1:50pm - UAE port 'eases restrictions'

• Abu Dhabi Petroleum Ports Authority has eased restrictions on cargoes going to and from Qatar, Reuters news agency reports.
  

• A new circular states all vessels carrying the Qatari flag and vessels owned or operated by Qatar are not allowed into its petroleum port, removing a reference to vessels arriving from or destined to Qatar.
  

1:30pm - UAE wants change in Qatar's policies

• The UAE wants to change Qatar's policies, not "its regime", Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said citing a government official.
  

12:30pm - Kuwait emir heading to Abu Dhabi

• Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah has flown to Abu Dhabi to continue talks on resolving the Gulf crisis.

11am - Moscow: No proof Russian hackers involved in Qatar crisis

• Moscow has dismissed allegations that Russian hackers helped spark the diplomatic crisis around Qatar, after CNN reported that US officials believed they planted a false news story.
  

• "We're getting tired of reacting to unsubstantiated banalities," Andrei Krutskikh, a Kremlin advisor on cybersecurity, told the Interfax news agency.
  

• "Whatever happens it is hackers. It's a stale claim and as ever there is zero evidence, and conclusions are drawn before the incident is even investigated," he said.
  

9:50am - Etihad Airways: Qataris barred from travel/transit via UAE

• Abu Dhabi state-owned Etihad Airways said all travellers holding Qatari passports are currently prohibited from travelling to or transiting through the United Arab Emirates as part of government instructions.
  

• Expatriates residing in Qatar and in possession of a Qatari residence visa will also not be eligible for visa on arrival in the UAE, Etihad spokesman said in an email.
  

8:30am - UAE bans show of sympathy towards Qatar

• "Strict and firm action will be taken against anyone who shows sympathy or any form of bias towards Qatar, or against anyone who objects to the position of the United Arab Emirates, whether it be through the means of social media, or any type of written, visual or verbal form," Gulf News quoted UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi as saying.
  

• Offenders could be punished with a jail term of up to 15 years and a fine of at least 500,000 dirhams ($136,000), Gulf News reported.
  

7:40am - Hamas 'shocked' by Saudi comments on Qatar

• Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in Paris on Tuesday that Qatar must sever ties with Hamas and its historic parent, the Muslim Brotherhood.
  

• Hamas said in a statement early on Wednesday that Jubeir's remarks "constitute a shock for our Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic nations."
  

6:30am - Qataris banned from Qantas flights to Dubai

• Qatari nationals will not be allowed to board Qantas flights to Dubai because the UAE has banned them from passing through its airports, an executive at the Australian airline has said.
  

• The UAE had already said Qatari nationals would not be allowed to enter the country or cross its points of entry, although the practical effects on airline passengers had been unclear until now.
  

5:10am - Mauritanians protest in front of Qatar embassy

• In a show of solidarity with Qatar, people in capital Nouakchott demonstrated outside of the Qatari embassy against its government's decision to severe ties with the Gulf state.

4:05am - Qatari ambassador to US discusses crisis

• "All these issues are based on fabricated allegations. There is no proof," Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani told Al Jazeera's Shihab Rattansi.
  

• "There's proof that Qatar is combating terrorism. In Riyadh, Qatar was commended on that. Our commitment to the US is a solid commitment, and our commitment to the region is also solid, so this is not a question," the ambassador said.
  

1:56am - Qatar's gas exports unaffected

• ExxonMobil Corp says production and exports of liquefied natural gas from Qatar have not been affected.
  

• The growing diplomatic rift has raised concerns about global access to Qatar's LNG, especially after some regional ports in the Gulf said they would not accept Qatari-flagged vessels.
  

1:48am - Trump talks to Saudi King Salman

• "The two leaders discussed the critical goals of preventing the financing of terrorist organisations and eliminating the promotion of extremism by any nation in the region," according to a White House statement.
  

• "The president underscored that a united Gulf Cooperation Council is critical to defeating terrorism and promoting regional stability."
  

1:35am - Mauritania breaks diplomatic ties with Qatar

• "The state of Qatar has linked its policies ... in support of terrorist organisations and the propagation of extremist ideas," said a statement from the ministry of foreign affairs of the West African country, a member of the Arab League.
  

1:10am - Pentagon chief speaks to Qatar's defence minister

• US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis has spoken by phone with his Qatari counterpart. No details of the talks were given, Reuters news agency quoted a source as saying.
  
• The Pentagon earlier renewed praise of Qatar for hosting a vital US air base and for its "enduring commitment to regional security".
  

00:30am - Moroccan airline halts Doha transit flights

• Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has announced that it had to suspend transit flights via Doha to and from UAE, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Egypt due to the cancellation of flights from Qatar to these countries.
  

• RAM's direct flights continue to operate to and from Qatar to Morocco.

11:51pm - Erdogan criticises Qatar sanctions, wants stronger ties

• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said "the sanctions taken against Qatar are not good".
  

• "Turkey will continue and develop our ties with Qatar, as with all our friends who have supported us in the most difficult moments," he added in reference to last year's failed coup.
  

11:20pm - Jordan downgrades relations with Qatar

• Jordan has said it will downgrade its diplomatic representation with Qatar after examining the "cause of the crisis" in the Gulf.
  

• The country also revoked the license of Al Jazeera media network, Jordan's government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said.

Saudi Arabia: Qatar must 'change policies'

• Saudi Arabia's foreign minister has said the damage caused by economic measures taken by some Arab states against Qatar should convince it change its policies.
  

• Qatar must end its support for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, the foreign minister said.
  

• "We believe that common sense and logic and will convince Qatar to take the right steps," Adel al-Jubeir said in Paris.
  

• "The decisions that were made were very strong and will have a fairly large cost on Qatar and we do not believe that Qataris want to sustain those costs."
  

8:30pm - IATA calls for restoring air links with Qatar

• The International Air Transport Association has called on the countries that acted against Qatar to restore air links with the country, warning of major travel disruptions.
  

• "Of course, we accept that countries have the right to close their borders," said IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac. "But connectivity with Qatar must be restored as quickly as possible."
  

7:25pm - French president keen to seek resolution of Gulf spat

• The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, has told Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in a phone conversation that he plans to seek ways to reduce tensions between Qatar and its neighbours.
  

7:22pm - Pentagon grateful to Qatar

• Pentagon has said the US military is grateful for Qatar's support of US army presence in the country and "enduring commitment to regional security".
  
• The spokesperson declined to comment on US President Donald Trump's tweets.

4:45pm - Trump tweets on Qatar again

• US President Donald Trump on Twitter: "So good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off."
  
• "They said they would take a hard line on funding extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!"
  

3:45pm - Philippines bars workers travel to Qatar

• The Philippine government temporarily has suspended the deployment of Filipino workers to Qatar, the labour secretary said. Silvestre Bello said there was no plan yet to repatriate more than 200,000 Filipino workers in Qatar.
  

3:06pm - US President Donald Trump tweets

• For the first time since the crisis unfolded, Trump has weighed in. His tweet: "During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar - look!"
  

12:20pm - Saudi suspends Qatar Airways licence

• According to the Saudi press, transport authorities in Saudi have cancelled Qatar Airways' licence to operate in Saudi Arabia.
  

• The authorities have also decided to close all Qatar's Airways offices in the kingdom.
  

11:50am - BeIn sports network appears blocked in UAE

• Authorities and telecommunications companies did not provide further details. BeIN acquired Al Jazeera's sports channels in 2013.
  

11:20am - UAE demands guarantees before mending Qatar ties

• "We need a guaranteed roadmap to rebuild confidence after our covenants were broken," UAE State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Twitter.
  

• Gargash accused Doha of turning to "money and media and partisanship and extremism" in a series of tweets early on Tuesday. Qatar has denied the allegations.
  

10:00am - Qatar stocks rebound in early trade

• Qatar's stock market rebounded in early trade on Tuesday after plunging 7.3 percent on Monday.
  
• The Qatari stock index was up 2.7 percent after half an hour of trade; it rose as much as 3.2 percent at one stage.
  

9:20am - Aluminium exports from Qatar blocked

• Exports of aluminium from the Qatalum metals plant in Qatar have been blocked by the UAE, Norway's Norsk Hydro said.
  

• Norsk Hydro owns a 50 percent stake on the Qatalum joint venture, which produces more than 600,000 tonnes per year of primary aluminium to customers in Asia, Europe and the United States.
  

• "Most Qatalum shipments normally go through the large Jebel Ali port in UAE, but this port looks to be closed for all Qatar shipments from Tuesday morning," Norsk Hydro said in a statement.
  

8:23am - Qatar Airways suspends flights to UAE, Egypt, Bahrain

• Qatar Airways has cancelled flights to Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emiratesfrom Tuesday until further notice, the airline said on its website, a day after it had suspended flights to Saudi Arabia.
  

• The airline said passengers holding a confirmed Qatar Airways ticket to any of the four countries between June 5 and July 6 are permitted to rebook their flights up to 30 days after their current departure date.
  

• Qatar Airways said its offices will continue to operate as normal in affected countries until further notice.
  

8:00am - Erdogan holds talks on lowering tensions

• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with the leaders of Qatar, Russia, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia on lowering tensions, presidential sources tells Al Jazeera.
  

• "There were no indications [of a crisis] whatsoever" in the latest GCC meeting, or the American-Islamic-Arab summit.
  

• He said the emir of Kuwait was travelling to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to assist in "containing the crisis".
  

• Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will give a speech to the nation on Tuesday to address the situation.
  

• He added there's a big question mark over the future of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
  

• "There was an unprecedented escalation from the [Gulf] mass media ... but Qatar has not met this escalation with escalation."
  

10:40pm - Kuwait calls for restraint

• Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah has called Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and "urged him for restraint and not to take any measure that could escalate" the situation in the Gulf, according to the state-run KUNA news agency.
  

8:30pm - Saudi banks asked to sell Qatari Riyals

• Saudi Arabia's central bank asks local banks to sell Qatari riyals and not to buy any more, local media and Reuters report.
  

8:30pm - Turkey is seeking to resolve Gulf spat

• Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is "actively involved" in efforts to resolve the diplomatic spat between Qatar and its neighbours, according to Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus.
  

8pm - US military has 'no plans' for change

• The US military's Central Command says it has "no plans to change our posture in Qatar" amid a Gulf diplomatic crisis. Major Adrian JT Rankine-Galloway said in a statement that US military aircraft continue to fly missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria from Qatar's Al-Udeid airbase.
  

7:30pm - Egypt airspace to close on Tuesday

• Egypt's ministry of civil aviation has announced that the country's airspace will be closed to Qatari flights starting Tuesday 04:00 GMT.
  

6:30pm - Israel praises anti-Qatar moves

• Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's defence minister, has praised the measures against Qatar, saying: "There is no doubt that this opens very many possibilities of cooperation in the struggle against terror."
  

6:25pm - Saudi shuts Al Jazeera office

• Saudi Arabia has shut down Al Jazeera Media Network's local office, according to Saudi state media
  

5:40pm - No Qatari vessels allowed in Saudi ports

• The Saudi Ports Authority has notified shipping agents not to receive vessels carrying Qatari flags or ships owned by Qatari companies or individuals.
  

5:10pm - Egypt suspends air and sea links

• Egypt's foreign ministry said in a statement the country was suspending air and sea links to Qatar, citing national security.
  

4:40pm - Turkey expresses 'sorrow'

• Turkey is ready to help however it can to bring the disputes to a manageable level, said Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, speaking at a joint news conference in Ankara.
  

• Cavusoglu also said: "Turkey sees the unity and solitary among Gulf states as our own unity."
  

4pm - Iran's food 'can reach in 12 hours'

• Food shipments sent from Iran can reach Qatar in 12 hours, said Reza Nourani, chairman of the union of exporters of agricultural products.
  

3:30pm - UAE port to turn away Qatar-bound vessels

• UAE's Port of Fujairah says all vessels flying the flag of Qatar or destined for Qatar will not be allowed to call at the port.
  

3:30pm - Iran calls for dialogue

• Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi was quoted on the ministry's website as calling for a "clear and explicit dialogue" among the feuding nations. Iran says rising tensions among its Arab Gulf neighbours threaten the interests of everyone in the region.
  

3:15pm - Maldives cuts ties with Qatar

• Decision made because of the Maldives' "firm opposition to activities that encourage terrorism and extremism".
  

3:10pm - Egypt recalls ambassador

• Egypt's foreign ministry says it has given the Qatari ambassador in Cairo 48 hours to leave the country and has ordered its own envoy in Doha to return home, also within two days.
  

2:50pm - Libya's Haftar cuts ties with Qatar

• The faction led by Khalifa Haftar, one of three rival governments in Libya, announced it is cutting ties with Qatar.
  

• Haftar's foreign minister accuses Qatar of "harbouring terrorism".
  

2pm - Saudi closes border with Qatar

• Saudi Transport authority confirms immediate border closure with Qatar by land and by sea.
  

1:30pm - Saudi border line up

• Reports of trucks being lined up across the border in Saudi Arabia unable to enter Qatar.
  

1:20pm - Updates from FIFA

• Football's world governing body says it remains in "regular contact with Qatar".
  

• FIFA issued a short statement saying it has spoken with "the Qatar 2022 Local Organizing Committee and the Supreme Committee for Delivery Legacy handling matters relating to the 2022 FIFA World Cup".
  

• It said: "We have no further comments for the time being."
  

1:15pm - Air Arabia flights suspended from Tuesday

• Air Arabia, a low-cost airline based in the United Arab Emirates, said it is suspending flights to Qatar along with other Emirati airlines over a growing diplomatic crisis.
  

• Air Arabia says its flights will be suspended from Tuesday "until further notice".
  

EXPLAINED: How diplomatic rift affects air travel

12:10pm - Saudia flights suspended from Monday

• Saudi Arabian Airlines says it is suspending flights to the Qatari capital, Doha.
  

• The airline, also known as Saudia, posted on Twitter that it would be halting flights from Monday morning, without elaborating.
  

11:05am - FlyDubai flights cancelled from Tuesday

• Dubai's budget carrier FlyDubai says it has cancelled its flights to Qatar amid a diplomatic dispute between it and other Arab countries.
  

• The carrier said on Monday that, starting Tuesday, all flights would be suspended. It offered no other details.
  

• FlyDubai's decision follows that of Emirates and Etihad in cancelling flights to Doha.
  

10:45am - Yemen cuts ties with Qatar

• Yemen's internationally recognised government has cut relations with Qatar and says it supports the decision by the Saudi-led coalition to end Qatar's participation in the war on the Houthis in Yemen. Qatar has been part of the coalition since March 2015.
  

• The government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi says it severed ties with Qatar in part over its support of extremist groups in Yemen "in contradiction with the goals announced by the countries supporting the legitimate government".
  

10:20am - Emirates flights cancelled from Tuesday

• The Dubai-based airline Emirates says it is suspending flights to Qatar amid a growing diplomatic rift.
  

• Emirates said on its website on Monday that flights would be suspended until further notice starting Tuesday.
  

10am - US urges GCC unity

• US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters in Sydney: "It is important that the GCC remain a unified [front]".
  

• Tillerson does not expect the rift "to have any significant impact, if any impact at all, on the unified fight against terrorism".
  

• Qatar hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East.
  

9:55am - Qatar's official reaction

• Qatar says there is "no legitimate justification" for four Arab nations to cut diplomatic ties.
  

• Qatar also says the decision is a "violation of its sovereignty", vowing to its citizens that it will not affect them.
  

READ: Qatar's reaction in full

8:35am - Etihad suspends flights from Tuesday

• Abu Dhabi-based airline Etihad said it is suspending flights to Qatar from June 6 "until further notice".
  

• Etihad said its last flights would leave early Tuesday morning.
  

• Etihad gave no reason for the decision. It is the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates.
  

6:10am - UAE, Egypt cut ties with Qatar

• The United Arab Emirates and Egypt have cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.
  

• Both the UAE and Egypt made the announcement on their state-run news agencies within minutes of each other.
  

6am - Saudi cuts ties with Qatar

• Saudi Arabia says it is cutting diplomatic ties to Qatar and it has pulled all Qatari troops from the ongoing war in Yemen.
  

• Saudi Arabia made the announcement via its state-run Saudi Press Agency early on Monday. It appeared to be timed in concert with an earlier announcement by Bahrain similarly cutting ties.
  

• The dispute between Qatar and the Gulf's Arab countries escalated recently over a hack of Qatar's state-run news agency. It has spiralled since.
  

5:50am, Monday, June 5 - Bahrain cuts ties with Qatar

• Bahrain says it is cutting diplomatic ties to Qatar amid a deepening rift between Gulf Arab nations.
  

• Bahrain's Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a statement early on Monday saying it would withdraw its diplomatic mission from the Qatari capital of Doha within 48 hours and that all Qatari diplomats should leave Bahrain within the same period.
  

2:30am Thursday, June 1 - US talking to all sides involved in Gulf crisis

• "We are continuing to talk to multiple members in the region. We'll continue to do that and monitor it," Sarah Sanders, deputy White House press secretary, told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

 

[blondeturkish]

Just when you think things could not get more complicated. It was Sunni vs Shia. Now it is Sunni vs Shia, Sunni vs Sunni Absolute monarchs vs democratically elected governments vs dictators vs ..........

In the meantime the countries which should also be worried are the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India who have millions of workers and who might be impacted if things get out control. People returning home and overseas remittances going down.

Meanwhile the country with the worlds largest Muslim population, Indonesia is peacefully minding its own business.

 

[xenon54 out]

Meanwhile the country with the worlds largest Muslim population, Indonesia is peacefully minding its own business.

Well, except Aceh where first public sharia punishment has been conducted recently.

 

[blondeturkish]

Well, except Aceh where first public sharia punishment has been conducted recently.

well that is bad

 

[Divergent]

A Saudi coalition airstrike killed a family of four in Sanaa, Yemen last night: an elderly woman, her daughter in law and her two little children- according to an Al Jazeera report. No wonder Saudi Arabia just banned hotels and tourist facilities from airing Al Jazeera, failure of which will result in a $27,000 fine and forced closure- after having shut all local Al Jazeera offices earlier this week. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia epitomising authoritarianism with the passing of each day.

 

[New World]

What an Irony

KSA, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt are isolating Qatar for its contacts with Iran and Israel. And Israel is Praising KSA, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt for Isolating Qatar.

 

[Fenasi Kerim]

What the hell is wrong with the US, Trump saying one thing and Tillerson another lol

 

[SubWater]

What the hell is wrong with the US, Trump saying one thing and Tillerson another lol

They are just milking....

 

[Avicenna]

Trump has a big mouth buddy. He can't keep a secret.

 

[BHarwana]

Abu Dhabi links with Israel exposed in leaked emails

A group of hackers stole e-mails from the UAE's Ambassador to the United States account and threatened to release them in full on Saturday, exposing the UAE's ties to Israel and its incitement of anti-democratic movements within the Middle East.
The group, which calls itself "GlobalLeaks" and uses a Russian email account address, told reporters it will release every email in Yousef Al-Otaiba's account.

The hackers claim the full database shows a clear picture of the UAE's lobbying arm and detrimental effects on US interests abroad.

The group said the leaks "reveal how millions of dollars were used to hurt [the] reputation of American allies and cause policy changes," especially in regards to Qatar, Turkey, Israel, Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood group as a whole.

The e-mails also show a clear picture of the back-channels the UAE ambassador has taken to ensure the UAE's views on the Arab Spring and change in the region are promoted abroad.
The emails show a "growing link" between the UAE and pro-Israel think-tank, Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). One of FDD’s senior councillors John Hannah "continued to exchange" a series of e-mails with Otaiba in which the two emphasise the positive relations between UAE officials and FDD.

Ironically, the FDD has on many occasions accused Saudi Arabia of promoting extremism within the region.

Just last month, on May 8, Hannah invited Otaiba to an event, intended to smear Qatar for its alleged support for the Muslim Brotherhood. Hannah asked Otaiba to spread the word, voicing "deep concern" of Qatar's support for democratically elected governments.

Anti-democratic sentiments were also displayed when the two "gloated" about their alleged role in catalysing the attempted coup of 2016 in Turkey.

A month after the Turkish coup attempt, Hannah sent Otaiba an article claiming that the UAE and FDD were both responsible in conspiring to orchestrate it. Hannah allegedly wrote to Otaiba saying that FDD is “honoured that we’re in your company”.

In 2013, Otaiba sent regular emails to contacts throughout Washington, praising the overthrow of deposed Egyptian president, Mohammed Morsi.
Following the Egypt coup, Otaiba sent an e-mail to former White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten on his views on the coup. He had reportedly told Bolten that by not siding with Sisi, the US would “be abandoning the moderates”.

The emails were reportedly provided by a paid whistle-blower from a think-tank based in Washington DC and a selected batch were released to various media outlets as proof.

It has not been confirmed or verified whether GlobalLeaks is connected to DC Leaks or the Kremlin.
Otaiba is well-known figure in US national security circles and has been named "the most charming man in Washington." He reportedly gave out iPads to journalists and other political types as Christmas presents. He has also participated in Pentagon strategy meetings at the invitation of the defence officials.




https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2017/6/3/abu-dhabi-links-with-israel-exposed-in-leaked-emails

 

[BaybarsHan]

https://twitter.com/x/status/873311143263182848

 

[The SC]

With one grand move the entire ME has been sharply divided. Whoever thought it is a true strategist.

Only question is of timing. Obviously the news of terror financing has been around since long. Why the sudden rush now? Also, this charge against Qatar cuts both ways!

Eygpte wants UN to act. KSA is not budging from its goal of total submission of Doha to KSA.

Turkey has jumped in the middle of the mess.

Iran got attacked at its seat of power in Tehran in broad day light.

Now the Kurds are joinning KSA... which is essentially an implied or even direct threat to Turkish state.

Even if this 'crisis' is solved in a couple of weeks.. the great rift that is created by this event is not going to be fixed anytime soon.

Pak must stay away from this...only option for Pak is to support all fighting parties.

However, Pak must never let Turkish Territorial Integrity to come in question at all costs. This is Imperative!

Pak must learn to show respect to those in GCC who show equal respect back and take a studied distance from those who don't.

CPEC, its completion and protection has to be the only Focus of Pak.

A new game has just started in the middle east.. everyone is still confused about what is going on or what is expected to come out of it.. anyhow all we know till know is that the Status quo has been broken in the middle East..
Just imagine that Saudi gas will be an alternative for Europe via Egypt.. lower prices and drying up the alleged source of terrorism..

Trump: I thank Saudi Arabia and King Salman for the extraordinary historic summit

What the hell is wrong with the US, Trump saying one thing and Tillerson another lol

Just playing bad cop, good cop..

The European energy market began to be affected by the dispute with Qatar, as prices rose because of the sudden change in the route of Qatar's gas tankers

http://ouo.io/s/wQg3UMvv/?s=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-09/qatari-lng-diversions-shock-eu-gas-traders-as-crisis-intensifies

United Nations: We have a strong relationship with Qatar Charity and we have joint projects in Yemen, Syria and Iraq

United Nations: We commit ourselves to the terrorist classifications issued by our institutions and not to any other party

United Nations: We will not commit ourselves to any terrorist classifications issued by non-state actors

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A French magazine asked Al Jabir KSA's foreign minister: Is there a military solution with Qatar?
"I hope we do not get there" he said

France La Tribune: The Minister of Justice says that the tax advantages that were granted to Qatar will not last long. I think it is fair that there is a tax justice in France, noting that there will be a cancellation of the advantages granted to Qatar in 2008 by Nicolas Sarkozy


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trump: orders Qatar to stop supporting terrorism immediately

Trump: Qatar has a history of financing terrorism at a very high level, And agreed with the US Secretary of State and military leaders that Qatar should stop financing terrorism now and the time has come to call on Qatar to stop supporting terrorism

 

[The SC]

# Erdogan: I have special hope from the Saudi authorities. You are the biggest in the Gulf and the strongest it is for you to be the crown of brotherhood and bring them together on one level

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qatar's schemes are unfair

Qatar has been trying to make international petrochemicals companies reluctant to invest in the Kingdom, and has been able to do so by offering fair and unfair competition to attract them and divert their direction and plans from the Kingdom towards Qatar, notably Philips International Petroleum, one of the largest US petrochemical companies, In the kingdom in 2002 after the conclusion of negotiations and close to the establishment of a large petrochemical complex in Jubail Industrial to produce 500 thousand tons of ethylene, which will be used in the production of 476 thousand tons of high density polyethylene and 50 thousand tons of hexane.

However, the talks suddenly and quickly turned to the Qatari side, which intervened to transfer the project from Qatar to Qatar. The decree issued by the Emir of Qatar established Qatar Chemical Company (QQM) as a Qatari shareholding company with a capital of $ 900 million. Qatar owns 51% of the project, Phillips, while the Saudi side considered the reluctance of Philips to invest in Jubail Industrial and the Kingdom in general, a major loss at a time when the company had taken advanced steps to establish the project in Jubail Industrial, which surprised a number of observers and interested economists.

Qatar grinds and tricks Philips against investment in the Kingdom

Especially since the president of Philips, Mr. John Mulva at the time, visited Jubail Industrial in 1998 with very high hopes to establish a joint petrochemical project in Jubail Industrial, confirming the decision of Philips to enter into the construction of a large petrochemical complex with Saudi participation with Saudi Aramco and SABIC. This was followed by the sending of specialists from Phelps to discuss the officials of the Royal Commission, Aramco and SABIC on the decision of the company to establish the complex in Jubail Industrial and start the study of site selection, while Philips has one of the advanced technology in the manufacture of polyethylene high density and possess more 80 licenses In this area.

But the wind went in what the ships do not want under the temptation of irrational Qatari, and preferred to achieve these aspirations and dreams that the president was talking on the ground in a surprising way followers who wanted to know why the company Philips to change its view of investment in Jubail Industrial, And preferred to set up their projects in the State of Qatar, which became after the establishment of this complex of the most important exporters of chemical fertilizers and petrochemicals in the world after the start of production of the complex in early 2001.

Kingdom and Bahrain boost their oil investments

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have stepped up their joint investments in the oil sector through the Bapco refinery in Bahrain, the first and oldest oil refinery in the Arabian Gulf, and is now engaged in an expansion project that includes the replacement of the pipeline between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in order to expand capacity capacity in cooperation with Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain contracts worth about 1.125 billion riyals, equivalent to 300 million dollars for the construction of a new oil pipeline between the two countries with a capacity of 350 thousand barrels per day is scheduled to start in 2018. While Bahrain depends on the production of Abu Saafa field, which is shared with Saudi Arabia to meet Most of its oil needs will replace the old pipeline with a capacity of 230 thousand barrels per day and will enable the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) to increase processing capacity in the Sitra refinery, which has a capacity of 267 thousand barrels per day.

While the capacity of the new pipeline is planned to increase to 400,000 barrels per day. The project is planned to be completed by the end of 2017 or early 2018, and will be subject to six months of trial operation. The old pipeline is likely to be out of service in the second half of 2018. Arabian Light crude oil will flow from Saudi Aramco's Baqeeq plant through the pipeline, 115 km of which 73 km in land and the rest of the distance under the waters of the Gulf.