Qatar

Qatar Hayya visa: 9 mn Indians in the Gulf get 2-month, multiple-entry stay

Qatar has widened eligibility and expanded stay limits under its Hayya GCC Resident Visa (A2), giving Indian expatriates living across the Gulf easier multiple-entry access during the busy winter even

Ashok Leyland partners with FAMCO Qatar to boost presence in Gulf markets

Commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland on Wednesday said it has partnered with Qatar-based Al-Futtaim Group's firm FAMCO Qatar to strengthen presence in the country off the Persian Gulf as part of its overseas expansion plans. The move builds on Ashok Leyland's expansion into Saudi Arabia with FAMCO KSA last year, reinforcing the strong strategic alliance between Al-Futtaim and Ashok Leyland. Through its partnership with FAMCO Qatar, Ashok Leyland said, it will introduce its full commercial vehicle range, including the new electric bus, tailored to the needs of local businesses and communities. The comprehensive product portfolio includes the flagship 'Falcon' and 'Oyster' buses, along with the versatile 'Boss' and 'Partner' light and medium-duty trucks, the company said, adding the partnership leverages Al-Futtaim's strong regional network to deliver reliable fleet and after-sales support. "We are introducing Ashok Leyland's best-in-class commercial vehicles in Qatar, in partners

India welcomes Gaza Peace Agreement; praises US, Egypt, and Qatar's roles

India has condemned terrorism; stressed there must be an end to destruction, despair and suffering of civilians and sought the immediate release of all hostages

Israel identifies body of hostage released by Hamas amid ceasefire efforts

Israel said on Tuesday it had identified the body of a hostage that was released by Hamas overnight, while the militant group's chief negotiator said Hamas is determined to implement the ceasefire agreement with Israel. US Vice President JD Vance is expected in the region on Tuesday to shore up the fragile ceasefire, which has teetered over the past few days. Israel confirmed that Hamas released the body of Tal Haimi, who was killed on Oct. 7, 2023, and abducted from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on the Gaza border. Haimi, 42, a fourth-generation resident of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, was part of the emergency response team. He had four children, including one born after the attack. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel is still waiting for Hamas to turn over the remains of 15 deceased hostages. Thirteen bodies have been released since the ceasefire began. After trading strikes earlier this week, Hamas negotiators reiterated that the group is committed to ensuring the war ends once and for ...

Qatar removes 'border' reference in Pak-Afghanistan ceasefire statement

Afghanistan Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said no Durand Line discussion occurred in Doha talks, calling it a matter between nations, Tolo News reported

Afghanistan, Pakistan have agreed to immediate ceasefire, says Qatar

Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. This follows more than a week of fighting that has killed dozens of people and injured hundreds. Delegations from Afghanistan and Pakistan were in Doha for talks to resolve the crisis. The talks were mediated by Qatar and Turkey. Both the governments had sent their defence ministers to lead the talks, which, Pakistan said, would focus on "immediate measures to end cross-border terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability along the border.

3 Qatari diplomats die in car crash while heading to Sharm el-Sheikh summit

Two other diplomats were injured when their vehicle overturned about 50 kilometres (31 miles) from Sharm el-Sheikh, the officials said

Pentagon to build training facility at Idaho base for Qatari F-15 pilots

, Oct 11 The US military is moving forward with plans to build a dedicated facility in Idaho to train pilots from Qatar, an important US ally in the Middle East, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday. Hegseth, who made the announcement during a visit by Qatar's defence minister, said the facility to be built at the Mountain Home Air Force Base would host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase the lethality, interoperability. The arrangement is not unusual. Pentagon officials noted that similar facilities have been set up for other allies for decades, and the Idaho base already hosts a fighter squadron from Singapore. But the news drew a sharp rebuke from close Trump ally and right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, who called the plan an abomination and accused the Qataris of being associated with Islamic terror organisations. No foreign country should have a military base on US soil. Especially Islamic countries, Loomer wrote in one

India-Qatar bilateral trade can be doubled by 2030, says Piyush Goyal

Goyal highlighted that, despite global economic headwinds and supply chain disruptions, India continues to demonstrate strong macroeconomic stability

JVs, tech tie-ups can help cut India's trade gap with Qatar: GTRI

Joint ventures in energy infrastructure, technology collaboration, and cross-border investments can help reduce India's trade deficit with Qatar, think tank GTRI said on Sunday. India's trade with Qatar stood at USD 14.15 billion in 2024-25. The trade relationship remains heavily skewed toward energy imports, with petroleum crude and gas products making up nearly 90 per cent of India's total imports from Qatar, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. India's exports to Qatar totalled USD 1.68 billion, while imports surged to USD 12.46 billion, producing a substantial trade deficit of USD 10.78 billion in the last fiscal. "The figures underscore the energy-centric nature of India's commerce with the Gulf nation, with hydrocarbons making up the bulk of inbound shipments," GTRI founder Ajay Srivastava said. Imports from Qatar were overwhelmingly composed of petroleum crude and gas products, amounting to USD 11.08 billion, about 88.9 per cent of the total imports. Key energ

Trump signs order pledging to defend Qatar in wake of Israel's strike

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order vowing to use all measures including US military action to defend the energy-rich nation of Qatar though it remains unclear just what weight the pledge will carry. The text of the order, available Wednesday on the White House's website but dated Monday, appears to be another measure by Trump to assure the Qataris following Israel's surprise attack on the country targeting Hamas leaders as they weighed accepting a ceasefire with Israel over the war in the Gaza Strip. The order cites the two countries' close cooperation and shared interest, vowing to guarantee the security and territorial integrity of the state of Qatar against external attack. The United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty or critical infrastructure of the state of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States, the order says. In the event of such an attack, the United States shall take all lawful and appropriate

Trump, Netanyahu back Gaza war plan; Hamas asked to free hostages in 72 hrs

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu agreed on a 20-point Gaza plan calling for an immediate ceasefire, hostages' release and a temporary Palestine board led by Trump and Tony Blair

UPI goes live in Qatar, starting with duty-free stores at Hamad airport

With Qatar Duty Free onboard, UPI expands abroad, offering Indians cashless payments on overseas trips.

Qatar to host summit on Israeli attack in Doha, seeks restraint on assaults

Qatar prepared on Monday to host a summit over Israel's attack on Hamas leaders in Doha last week, hoping a group of Arab and Islamic nations will offer a way to restrain Israel as its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip grinds on. The attack on Hamas leaders came as Qatar serves as a key mediator in an effort to reach a ceasefire in the war, something Doha insisted it will continue to do even after the assault. Since Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Israel has retaliated against the militant group and others in Iran's so-called Axis of Resistance, launching strikes in Iran, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Syria, Qatar and Yemen. That's led to a wider anger by Mideast nations already enraged by the over 64,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, and a growing concern that the US security umbrella in the Gulf Arab states may not be enough to protect them. It is time for the international community to stop applying double standards and punish Israel for all the crimes it has ...

Trump calls Qatar 'a great ally', warns Netanyahu to act with caution

Following Israeli strikes that killed a Qatari officer and five Hamas members in Doha, Trump praised Qatar's role and urged Israel to exercise restraint

Qatari PM calls Israeli attack on Doha 'state terrorism, grave escalation'

He affirmed that Qatar, alongside Egypt and the United States, will continue efforts to end the war

Turkiye wary of Israeli threat after airstrike on Hamas officials in Qatar

An Israeli strike on a meeting of Hamas officials in Qatar has cast a cloud of growing concern across Turkiye that it could be the next target. Turkish Defence Ministry spokesman Rear Adm. Zeki Akturk warned in Ankara on Thursday that Israel would further expand its reckless attacks, as it did in Qatar, and drag the entire region, including its own country, into disaster. Israel and Turkiye were once strong regional partners, but ties between the countries ran into difficulties from the late 2000s and have reached an all-time low over the war in Gaza sparked by the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack in southern Israel. Tensions also have risen as the two countries have competed for influence in neighbouring Syria since the fall of Bashar Assad's government last year. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been a long-standing supporter of the Palestinian cause and of the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The Turkish president has criticised Israel, and particularly Prime Minist

Trump meets Qatari PM after Israeli strike in Doha raises regional concerns

President Donald Trump met Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed in New York days after an Israeli strike in Doha targeting Hamas leaders heightened tensions between the US and its Gulf ally

Rubio meets Qatar PM ahead of Israel visit as US balances ties with allies

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Qatar's prime minister on Friday before he visits Israel this weekend, showing how the Trump administration is trying to balance relations between key Middle East allies days after Israel targeted Hamas leaders in a strike on Doha. Despite tensions between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Rubio will arrive in Israel on Sunday for a two-day visit. It is a show of support for the increasingly isolated country before the United Nations holds likely contentious debate on the creation of a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu opposes. Rubio also is expected to travel to a divisive archeological site in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians claim for the capital of what they hope is an eventual independent nation. The same day his trip to Israel was announced, America's top diplomat sat down at the White House with Vice President JD Vance and Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. There was n

Best of BS Opinion: Is the US still a reliable ally to its friends?

Today's wrap of the Opinion Page straddles borders and ideas, as always; from the reliability of the US, to institutional strength in democracies, to Las Vegas' shimmering lights, it's all here