Qatar has intensified diplomatic efforts to defuse regional tensions and safeguard freedom of maritime navigation, with His Excellency Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani holding a series of telephone consultations with senior officials from Lebanon, Jordan, Turkiye and Egypt.The discussions focused on co-ordinating diplomatic initiatives to promote regional security and stability, with Qatar reaffirming its support for efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement that guarantees freedom of navigation and lays the groundwork for sustainable peace.HE the Prime Minister held separate telephone conversations with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Youssef Raji, Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Co-operation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty.The talks reviewed the latest regional developments and explored ways to strengthen joint diplomatic co-ordination to reduce tensions and prevent further escalation.HE the Prime Minister emphasised Qatar's consistent position that diplomatic engagement remains essential to securing freedom of maritime navigation and reaching a comprehensive settlement capable of delivering lasting peace and stability across the region.During his conversation with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, HE the Prime Minister also reiterated Qatar's unwavering support for Lebanon's stability and territorial integrity, reaffirming its continued solidarity with the Lebanese people.The discussions additionally covered bilateral relations with the respective countries and opportunities to strengthen co-operation across various fields.

His Excellency the Minister of Municipality, Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah al-Attiyah; His Excellency Chief of Staff of the Qatar Armed Forces, Lieutenant General (Pilot) Jassim bin Mohammed al-Mannai; His Excellency President of the National Cyber Security Agency, Eng Abdulrahman bin Ali al-Farahid al-Malki; and Assistant Undersecretary for Security Affairs at the Ministry of Interior, His Excellency Sheikh Naif bin Faleh al-Thani visited, separately, the National Command Center (NCC). They reviewed, during the visits, the readiness of the national response system within the framework of the 'Watan 2026' exercise, including the procedures and mechanisms in place to address the various scenarios simulated in the exercise.

Qatar’s doors swung wide in 2026, with 2.95mn visitors streaming through its land, air and sea gateways in the first ten months of the year, and October gave the momentum a decisive shove. Data released by Qatar Tourism shows arrivals rose 21.7% in October to 336,000, up from 276,000 in September.**media[513122]**The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) remains the anchor of that flow. Visitors from member states made up 39.9% of the total, or 1.176mn arrivals, the largest share of any market between January and October. Asia and Oceania followed in second place with 630,000 arrivals, or 21.4% of the total, while Europe came third with 620,000 visitors, representing 21%.Further down the table, the Americas accounted for 216,000 visitors, or 7.3%. Other Arab countries ranked fifth with 209,000 visitors, a 7.1% share while other African countries rounded out the top six with 96,000 arrivals, or roughly 3.3%.The mix points to a destination with broad appeal, drawing as readily from neighbouring Gulf capitals as from distant markets across Asia, Europe and the Americas.