HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani chaired the Cabinet's regular meeting at the Amiri Diwan. Following the meeting, HE the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Sulaiti issued a statement giving the details of the proceedings.
His Highness the Amir's working visit to the US and the discussions that took place with President Biden and a number of senior officials in the US administration have moved the strategic partnership between Qatar and the United States to a new stage and opened broad horizons for developing bilateral co-operation for the benefit of the peoples of the two friendly countries in order to consolidate regional security and stability, maintain global peace and contribute to solving regional issues, foremost of which is the Palestinian cause, the Cabinet said.
The Cabinet valued Biden's praise for Qatar's prominent and positive role in the region and noted his decision to notify the US Congress to designate Qatar as a major non-Nato ally to reflect the importance of the Qatari-US relationship.
The Cabinet also expressed great satisfaction that Qatar ranked first among Arab countries and 24th globally in the 2021 Global Food Security Index (GFSI), on a list that included 113 countries.
The Cabinet affirmed that this important achievement was accomplished thanks to the directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and the special interest that His Highness the Amir attaches to food security projects, as it confirms the success of the State's plans in this vital field and its strategy to increase agricultural production to reach self-sufficiency in accordance with Qatar National Vision 2030.
Within the framework of this strategy, the State has made a major development of food markets and agricultural yards, expanded and modernised the logistical infrastructure in ports and warehouses, and established strategic storage reserves of wheat and rice. It has increased the reserve stocks of a wide range of basic foodstuffs in retail stores, and enhanced public expenditures on agricultural research through the Qatar National Research Fund for food security. These are in addition to the continuous efforts made to modernise food security policies and strategies in the country.
The Cabinet took the necessary measures to ratify a memorandum of understanding for co-operation in the field of education between Qatar and Uruguay.
It also reviewed the following issues and took the appropriate decisions:
1. The semi-annual report of the Committee for the Regulation of Ownership and Use of Non-Qatari Property on its activities during the period from 6/4 to 6/10/2021.
The committee established in the Ministry of Justice has several specialisations, including proposing areas in which non-Qataris are allowed to own and use real estate, the terms and conditions for their ownership and use of real estate, and the benefits, incentives and facilities granted to them.
2. The report of the Appeals Committee of the Qatar Financial Markets Authority regarding the complaints considered by the committee during 2018 and 2019.
The committee established in the Qatar Financial Markets Authority, chaired by one of the presidents of the Court of Appeals and includes the membership of two judges of the Court of Appeals and two experts in the securities transactions, is specialised in deciding on complaints against the penal decisions issued by the Authority.
Covid-19 measures to continue
The Cabinet listened to an explanation given by HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari on the latest developments regarding the steps taken to limit the spread of Covid-19. It stressed the continuation of the precautionary measures that have been taken in order to combat the pandemic.