Qatar has always underscored the importance of strengthening Arab solidarity and its latest decision to buy $3bn of Egyptian government bonds, over and above its previously announced aid package, is in line with that. Qatar has also said it will provide natural gas to Egypt which is facing a fuel shortage.

Qatar’s new offers come as Cairo holds difficult talks with the International Monetary Fund over a loan of $4.8bn as part of a financing programme to lift Egypt’s economy out of crisis. Egypt’s foreign reserves have declined from $36bn before the January 2011 uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak to some $13.4bn in March. That represents barely enough to cover imports for a three-month period - a standard benchmark for minimum reserve holdings.

Qatar’s gestures must be appreciated, especially since they come with no strings.

“We will not ask the Egyptian government for anything in return for our assistance,” HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani said yesterday following talks with Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil in Doha.

Qatar has already offered Egypt a loan package totalling $5bn.

Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim and Kandil  underlined once again the importance of relations existing between Qatar and Egypt, stressing the need to enhance them further to the interest of the peoples of the two countries.

Kandil hailed Qatari investments in Egypt, pointing out that those represent about 18 to 20% of foreign investments, and are “not as big as rumoured to be”.

He appeared to be responding to baseless claims from some quarters about Qatar’s “interests” in Egypt. It is obvious that some mischievous elements are trying hard to spoil the good relations between Qatar and Egypt. The governments and people of both countries realise this, of course.

Qatar has always said that its aid to Egypt is unconditional.

“We are not asking for a special status in Egypt... in return for support,”  HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim said yesterday, insisting that Doha “will not be affected” by campaigns against it in Egyptian media.

“Sadly, media are reporting positive things negatively. But this will not affect Qatar’s way of dealing with our brothers in Egypt,” he said.

A sensible stance.

 

Boost for construction

 

The new Ashghal Centre for Research and Development, which opened in Doha yesterday, will improve the quality of construction in Qatar.

As major infrastructure upgrade is underway in Qatar, the new centre fills a major gap in the country’s construction  sector. Engineers and other technical staff at Ashghal will undergo training programmes at the centre’s facilities and this will reflect in their job output and management of projects.

The centre is equipped with machinery for chemical, mechanical, microbiological tests besides having devices to check asphalt mixture performance, among its other facilities.

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