Emir to attend Camp David summit in US

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani leaves today for the US to attend the Camp David summit with President Barack Obama on May 14. The summit will also be attended by leaders of other Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) members. The GCC leaders will discuss with the US president ways to enhance ties, in addition to reviewing the latest regional and international developments and means of strengthening peace and stability in the region. The summit will be preceded by an official dinner hosted by Obama in honour of the GCC leaders on May 13 at the White House.

Meeting reviews 2022 projects

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday presided over the first meeting of the Board of Directors of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy of the year 2015 in Al Bahr Palace.
The meeting was attended by HH the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani, HH Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Personal Representative of the Emir, and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors, HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and Board Member and the other Board members. The meeting discussed the progress of work and the achievements made so far in all 2022 FIFA World Cup projects.  

Minister receives French invitation

Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage, HE Dr Hamad bin Abdul Aziz al-Kuwari received an official invitation from the French Minister of Culture and Communication Fleur Pellerin to attend the informal meeting of the Qatari-French Joint Cultural Committee. The invitation was handed by French Ambassador Eric Chevalier during a meeting yesterday.  The decision to form the Qatari-French Joint Cultural Committee was taken during the historic visit by HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to France last year. Dr al-Kuwari will head the Qatari delegation for the meeting due to be held at the end of this month with the participation of representatives of Qatar’s cultural institutions.

Awqaf ministers to meet tomorrow
Doha will host a two-day meeting of the Ministers Responsible for Awqaf (Endowments) Affairs in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) states starting tomorrow.  The meeting will discuss major challenges facing those in charge of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in the GCC countries and ways to address them. It will also discuss the proposals of the GCC Awqaf Ministers’ Assistants who held their first meeting in Doha on March 1. In this meeting, the ministers will seek to develop a common vision for the endowment institutions’ work in a collective institutional framework, and to strengthen co-operation between endowment institutions.

Ties reviewed
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration in the Republic of Moldova, Natalia Gherman, met in Chisinau with Qatar’s Ambassador Mohamed Ali al-Maliki. Talks during the meeting dealt with bilateral relations between the two countries and means of enhancing them.

Seminar mulls GCC integration
Legislature chiefs and key representatives from GCC states yesterday mulled economic integration and alliance at a key seminar organised in Doha by the Advisory Council.
The seminar titled ‘Achievements and Challenges of GCC States’ Economic Alliance’, discussed topics relevant to Gulf citizens.  It was organised under the patronage of Advisory Council Speaker HE Mohamed bin Mubarak al-Khulaifi. Qatar University College of Business and Economics Associate Dean for Business Relations and Engagement Dr Khalid Shams al-Abdulqader and other economists, business policy experts and leaders attended the seminar. Chairman of the seminar and Advisory Council member and controller Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Sulaiti gave an overview of the objectives of the discussion. The outcomes of the discussion are vital to achieving cohesion and strengthening GCC joint action to boost economic co-operation, he said.

Man sentenced to jail for theft
A Sri Lankan expatriate has been sentenced to two years in jail for theft and carrying a knife by a Doha criminal court, local Arabic daily Arrayah reported yesterday.
His accomplice, who used to buy the stolen things from him, was sentenced to six months in jail. Both convicts will be deported upon completion of their sentences. The case goes back when a security guard spotted the first convict stealing LPG cylinders from the camps of some Qataris.
However, he managed to flee after threatening the guard with a knife. Later, police managed to arrest the man, who admitted his crime during the investigation process and led the police to his accomplice.