Father Emir’s achievements
Dear Sir,
Apropos the Kuwait daily newspaper Al Wassat naming HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani as the Person of the Year for 2013, (Gulf Times, December 30), one can recall some of his outstanding achievements.
Under his reign, Qatar won the right to stage the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Doha, the first event of its kind to take place in the Middle East. Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamad and HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, several world-class academic institutions have opened campuses in Doha, including Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, Northwestern University, Texas A&M University and Weill Cornell Medical College.
With a stable government, HH Sheikh Hamad had been able to focus on turning Qatar into a major regional power by continuing to exploit the country’s vast oil and gas reserves.
By 2010 liquefied natural gas production had reached 77mn tonnes, making Qatar the richest county in the world.
Far from just relying on income from gas and oil, HH Sheikh Hamad invested billions of dollars in businesses overseas.
One of the state’s most successful ventures, however, was Al Jazeera satellite news channel. The channel, which broadcasts in Arabic and English, has launched Al Jazeera America and is considered among the world’s most respected media organisations.
HH the Father Emir is one of the Middle East’s most influential, reformist leaders, balancing his country’s traditional values with his vision of a technologically modern and culturally diverse state. Under his leadership, Qatar granted women the right to vote in 1997.
We, the expatriate community, salute HH the Father Emir for making Qatar a beautiful country. All of us have peace, happiness and prosperity 24x7 during our residency here. Thank you, Qatar!
Rakesh Verma, Doha, rakeshscdc@gmail.com
CMC concern for stray animals
Dear Sir,
I am a resident of Qatar. Presently, I am pursuing higher studies in Kerala. I am a member of People for Animals, India. Headed by Maneka Gandhi, PFA is India’s largest animal welfare organisation with a nationwide network of 26 hospitals, 165 units and 250,000 members. We work to rescue and rehabilitate sick and abandoned animals.
While in Doha on vacation, I came across a news item in your esteemed paper (December 25) under the heading ‘CMC calls for providing shelters for stray animals’.
I used to visit Qatar Animal Welfare Society (QAWS) whenever I was here and last time I heard the sad news that it was going to be shut down. But now I am glad to know that there are people who care for these stray animals. I appreciate the CMC for their concern.
I also appreciate Sheikh Ali bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani for his love towards the animal world.
Arya Bharathan Engoor, People For Animals India (PFA)
yari25@gmail.com
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