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Syria is joining the global coalition against the Islamic State group, a US official said Monday hours after President Donald Trump welcomed his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa for historic White House talks.Sharaa, whose forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, was the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since the Middle Eastern country's independence in 1946.But the 43-year-old's landmark visit to the Oval Office came just days after Washington removed him from its terrorism list."During the visit, Syria announced that it is joining the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS," becoming the 90th member of the alliance and "partnering with the US to eliminate ISIS remnants and halt foreign fighter flows," a senior administration official said.According to the official, Syria will also be allowed to resume diplomatic relations with Washington "to further counterterrorism, security, and economic co-ordination." Trump said he wanted Syria to become "very successful" after more than a decade of civil war and added that he believed Sharaa "can do it, I really do." "He's a very strong leader. He comes from a very tough place, and he's a tough guy," Trump told reporters after the meeting, which was closed to press."People said he's had a rough past, we've all had rough pasts... And I think, frankly, if you didn't have a rough past, you wouldn't have a chance." Trump said Syria was a "big part" of his plan for a wider Middle East peace plan, which the US president is hoping will prop up the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza."Having a stable and successful Syria is very important to all countries in the Region," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform after the meeting.Despite this, Trump would not confirm reports that Syria would sign any non-aggression pact with Israel.Afterwards Sharaa was interviewed by broadcaster Fox News, saying Syria's ongoing dispute with Israel over the Golan Heights territory would make entering peace talks difficult now. But he suggested talks facilitated by Trump and Washington could help start negotiations.The Syrian president's visit capped a remarkable turnaround for a former fighter who once had a US bounty on his head.In dramatic scenes as he left his meeting with Trump, he climbed out of his motorcade to greet crowds of supporters outside the White House, surrounded on all sides by bodyguards.Syria's presidency said on X that Sharaa and Trump discussed the bilateral relationship, "the ways to strengthen and develop it, as well as a number of regional and international issues of common interest." It published photos of Trump standing and shaking hands with a smiling Sharaa beside the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.Other pictures showed the Syrian leader sitting opposite Trump with top US officials including Vice President JD Vance, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and top US military officer Dan Caine.Since taking power, Syria's new leaders have sought to break from their violent past and present a more moderate image to ordinary Syrians and foreign powers.Sharaa's White House visit is "a hugely symbolic moment for the country's new leader, who thus marks another step in his astonishing transformation from fighter to global statesman," said Michael Hanna, US programme director at the International Crisis Group.The Syrian met Trump for the first time in Saudi Arabia during the US leader's regional tour in May. At the time the 79-year-old Trump dubbed Sharaa, 43, as "a young, attractive guy." Sharaa was expected to seek US funds for Syria, which faces significant challenges in rebuilding after 13 years of devastating civil war.After his arrival in Washington, Sharaa over the weekend met with International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva over possible aid.Sharaa's past has caused controversy in some quarters but the State Department's decision Friday to remove him from the blacklist was widely expected.The Syrian president has also been making diplomatic outreach towards Washington's rivals. He met Russian President Vladimir Putin in October in their first meeting since the removal of Assad, a key Kremlin ally.

The Qatari men’s volleyball team secured a crucial victory on Monday, defeating hosts Saudi Arabia 3–1 in an exciting encounter at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh until November 21.Qatar recovered well after dropping the opening set 21–25, taking control of the match with confident attacking play and solid defense to claim the next three sets 25–16, 25–20, and 25–21 in front of a large crowd at Riyadh Boulevard.With this result, Qatar moved a step closer to advancing to the medal rounds. They will face Bahrain Wednesday in a decisive fixture that could confirm their qualification to the knockout stages.Tamer qualifies for 100m Freestyle FinalQatar’s swimmer Ali Tamer qualified for the final of the men’s 100m freestyle, to be held today at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex. Tamer clocked 50.44 seconds in the heats and 50.53 seconds in the semi-finals.Meanwhile, teammate Mohammed Aziz Ismail narrowly missed out on the 200m butterfly final after finishing fourth in his heat with a time of 2:12.26. Hamza al-Shaalan withdrew from the 200m breaststroke final after sustaining an injury during warm-up. He had earlier qualified with a time of 2:23.35 in the heats.Today, Ismail will compete in the 100m butterfly, while al-Shaalan and Mohammed Mahmoud will contest the 50m breaststroke.Elsewhere, Qatar’s table tennis players begin their individual campaigns today, while Mona Al-Kharafi will represent the nation in the women’s under-50kg karate category.Turkey tops medal tableTurkey continues to lead the medal standings at the Games with 58 medals — 37 gold, 12 silver, and 9 bronze. Egypt sits second with 18 medals (6 gold, 4 silver, 8 bronze), followed by Nigeria in third with 10 medals (5 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze). Indonesia ranks fourth with 18 medals (4 gold, 11 silver, 3 bronze), and Uzbekistan is fifth with 21 medals (4 gold, 10 silver, 7 bronze).

Qatar’s swimmers continued their strong form at the Islamic Solidarity Games Riyadh 2025, with Mohammed Mahmoud narrowly missing a podium finish in the men’s 200m individual medley, placing fourth in 2:05.69, just 0.62 seconds behind third. Mahmoud also finished seventh in the 100m breaststroke while teammate Ali Tamer clocked 22.72s to claim fourth in the 50m freestyle, only 0.15s off the bronze.The Al Annabi swimmers remain in action today, with Tamer contesting the 100m freestyle, Hamza Shaalan in the 200m breaststroke and Aziz al-Jilani in the 200m butterfly. Elsewhere, Qatar’s men’s table tennis team exited in the quarter-finals after a loss to Kazakhstan, while judoka Haya al-Kuwari bowed out in the repechage round of the under-70kg category.The men’s volleyball team faces hosts Saudi Arabia today before wrapping up their group stage against Bahrain on Wednesday. More than 3,000 athletes from 57 nations are competing across 23 sports in Riyadh. Qatar has sent 82 athletes participating in 16 disciplines.

Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) has been named ‘Islamic Bank of the Year in Qatar’, ‘Best Islamic Retail Bank in Qatar’, ‘Best Islamic SME Bank in Qatar’, and ‘Islamic Wealth Management of the Year in Qatar’, at The Asset Triple A Islamic Finance Awards 2025, underscoring its continued leadership across all banking segments.QIB was recognised as ‘Islamic Bank of the Year in Qatar’ for its strong financial performance, market leadership, and innovation. In the first nine months of 2025, the bank delivered a net profit of QR3.45bn in the nine months of 2025, representing a growth of 5.38% over the same period in 2024 and maintaining nearly half of the Islamic banking market share, underscoring its disciplined strategy and focus on sustainable growth.The bank was also awarded the ‘Best Islamic Retail Bank in Qatar’, reflecting its exceptional performance and commitment to customer service. Over the past year, QIB has made remarkable progress in enhancing its digital offerings, revolutionising both customer interactions and internal operations.The bank’s relentless focus on digitalisation has resulted in significant benefits for its diverse stakeholders. Over 83% of customers now bank digitally, and more than half of retail sales are completed via the award-winning QIB Mobile App. With over 320 integrated features, the app enables seamless onboarding, financing, card issuance, and lifestyle services, including the Marketplace and Auto Marketplace, Qatar’s first digital platforms offering customers services beyond traditional banking. Innovations such as the Click-to-Pay service and the Carbon Emission Tracker reflect QIB’s commitment to digital inclusion and climate-conscious banking.The accolade of ‘Best Islamic SME Bank in Qatar’ highlights QIB’s customer-centric approach and commitment to enabling Qatar’s small and medium-sized enterprises. Through a suite of tailored, Shariah-compliant digital solutions, including digital onboarding, Corporate Internet Banking, the QIB Corporate app, and co-branded credit cards with Ooredoo, QIB has simplified business banking. The bank also offers a comprehensive range of payment services such as POS terminals, Payment Gateway, and QIB SoftPOS, empowering SMEs to manage finances, improve liquidity, and scale sustainably.The ‘Islamic Wealth Management of the Year in Qatar’ highlights QIB’s ability to offer highly personalised, relationship-led services rooted in Islamic principles. Each customer benefits from a dedicated relationship manager who crafts tailored financial strategies aligned with personal goals and risk tolerance. The bank offers a full suite of services, including bespoke investment solutions, financing, estate planning, and exclusive access to premium investment opportunities.Bassel Gamal, QIB Group CEO, said: “We are pleased to receive these awards, which reflect our commitment to growth, innovation, and customer empowerment. Supported by our strong financial performance in the first nine months of 2025, these recognitions are a testament to the dedication of our team to deliver world-class Shariah-compliant solutions, the support of our board of directors, as well as the trust and loyalty of our customers.”Marking its 25th anniversary, the Asset Triple A Islamic Finance Awards is highly regarded within the financial sector as one of the most prestigious recognition programs, celebrating institutions that exemplify outstanding performance in Islamic banking.

The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) has announced that it will participate with a delegation of 82 male and female athletes in the 6th edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games, which will be held in the Saudi capital Riyadh from November 7 to 21, with more than 3,000 athletes from 57 countries expected to take part.During a press conference held at the QOC Headquarters on Thursday, Mr. Khalifa Jabor Al-Naimi, Deputy Head of the Qatari Administrative Delegation, confirmed that Qatar will compete in 16 sports: Athletics, Duathlon, 3x3 Basketball, Karate, Equestrian, Wrestling, Volleyball, Handball, Taekwondo, Table Tennis, Judo, Weightlifting, Camel Racing, Swimming, Fencing, and Para Athletics.Al-Naimi highlighted that Qatar’s participation in the Islamic Solidarity Games reflects the QOC and the State of Qatar’s commitment to being actively present in Islamic, Arab, and Asian sporting events, and to strengthening sporting ties among nations.He added that the Qatari teams have completed their preparations through intensive training programs supervised by their respective federations in coordination with the QOC. He emphasized that the Qatari delegation aims to deliver outstanding performances and reach the podium, particularly in athletics, weightlifting, handball, and volleyball — the sports in which Qatar is expected to perform most strongly.Al-Naimi acknowledged the strong level of competition, given the large number of participating nations. He noted that the main objective is to maximize the technical benefits of the Games by offering opportunities to a wide range of Qatari athletes — both youth athletes being groomed for the Doha 2030 Asian Games and elite athletes capable of competing for medals.He concluded by reviewing Qatar’s proud history in the Islamic Solidarity Games, which began in Mecca 2005 with the first gold medal. That success was followed by Palembang 2013, where Qatar won five medals, and Baku 2017, which marked a turning point with 12 medals (2 gold, 3 silver, 7 bronze). In Konya 2022, Qatar maintained the same total with an improvement in quality — 4 gold, 3 silver, and 5 bronze. This brought Qatar’s historical total at the Islamic Solidarity Games to 30 medals: 8 gold, 8 silver, and 14 bronze, reaffirming Qatar’s strong presence and readiness to shine again in the Riyadh 2025 edition.The Islamic Solidarity Games program includes 23 sports: Athletics, Fencing, 3x3 Basketball, Swimming, Handball, Table Tennis, Camel Racing, Volleyball, Karate, Muay Thai, Judo, Weightlifting, Futsal, Wrestling, Taekwondo, Esports, Wushu, Boxing, Equestrian (Show Jumping), Duathlon, Jiu-Jitsu, Para Athletics, and Para Weightlifting.

The National Museum of Korea will open a new permanent exhibition dedicated to Islamic history and culture next month, offering visitors a glimpse into one of the world’s most influential civilisations. In collaboration with the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar, the Islamic gallery will open Nov 22 on the third floor of the museum’s World Art Gallery. This marks the first time the museum has established a permanent space devoted to Islamic culture.

Under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the 6th Session of the Islamic Conference of Labour Ministers (ICLM) concluded Saturday in Doha, reaffirming the commitment of member states to strengthen cooperation on employment, social protection, and human capital development.Chaired by HE Minister of Labour and Chair of the 6th ICLM, Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, the closing session brought together labour ministers, heads of delegations, and representatives from international and regional organisations, alongside experts and civil society, to adopt the final communique of the conference.In his remarks, HE Dr. Al Marri praised the "constructive engagement and shared vision" demonstrated by all delegations, which, he said, had "enriched the discussions and strengthened the spirit of partnership among OIC member states.""The exchange of ideas and best practices over the past two days has shown that when we work together, we can turn shared challenges into shared progress," he said. "Our collective efforts today lay the foundation for fairer, more resilient labour markets across the Islamic world."Dr. Al Marri expressed appreciation for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretariat, the technical committees, and all participating institutions whose contributions ensured the success of the conference. He also reaffirmed Qatar's steadfast support for collaborative initiatives that advance labour standards, job creation, and sustainable development.The final communique welcomed Qatar's proposal, in partnership with the OIC Labour Centre, SESRIC, the Arab Labour Organisation, and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), to launch joint regional training programmes aimed at developing unified regional guidelines for the recognition of professional skills and qualifications.The document underscored the importance of investing in skills development, promoting decent work, and supporting private sector growth to enhance competitiveness among OIC member states. It also encouraged closer cooperation in the fields of occupational safety and health, agricultural skills development, and the use of digital technologies to shape the future of work."The Islamic world stands at a turning point in the transformation of labour markets," Dr. Al Marri said. "Embracing innovation while upholding the dignity of work will be key to achieving inclusive and sustainable growth for all."The ministers reiterated their collective support for Palestine's right to full membership in the International Labour Organization and other international bodies, highlighting the importance of ensuring decent work and economic opportunities for the Palestinian people.Delegates also commended SESRIC for its regular assessment of the OIC Labour Market Strategy, which helps track progress, identify challenges, and promote knowledge exchange among member states.The final communique further welcomed initiatives to foster networks of small and medium enterprises, women-led cooperatives, and investment promotion agencies, aimed at empowering entrepreneurship and women's economic participation.The conference called on member states to leverage artificial intelligence and digital technologies to enhance labour market governance, while ensuring ethical and inclusive approaches to technological change.In closing, the participants expressed their deep appreciation to the Government of Qatar for its generous hospitality and excellent organisation of the 6th ICLM, which they described as a milestone in advancing cooperation and solidarity among OIC member states."Qatar is proud to host this platform for dialogue and unity," Dr. Al Marri concluded. "Together, we are shaping a future of work that is just, inclusive, and centred on human dignity."

His Excellency Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari met with the President of the Islamic Development Bank Group Dr Mohammed bin Sulaiman Al Jasser, on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, the relations between the two parties were reviewed, along with prospects for enhancing and developing them in key shared investment and financial sectors, in addition to discussing a number of topics of mutual interest. HE Minister of Finance also met with Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Bank, Christian Sewing, on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. During the meeting, a number of topics related to shared interests were discussed, with a focus on financial and economic matters.

Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), country's leading digital bank, has achieved a new milestone by winning 17 prestigious accolades at Global Finance’s 2025 Digital Bank, AI & Innovation Awards “reinforcing its leadership” in innovation and digitisation.The recognition spanned across corporate, consumer, AI, and innovation global, regional and local categories, highlighting QIB’s leadership and prominent position within the banking sector globally.At the ceremony held recently in London, QIB was honoured as the Best Personalised Financial Advice Consumer Banking in the World in the Global AI in Finance Awards category, recognising the bank’s position at the forefront of AI-driven banking innovation in the region and beyond.Additionally, QIB won four accolades; Best Consumer Bank in AI and Best Personalised Financial Advice, both in Qatar and in the Middle East, in acknowledgement of QIB’s advanced AI-driven capabilities that deliver secure, intelligent, and customer-focused financial services.With a clear focus on delivering smarter, more intuitive digital experience, QIB has been systematically embedding artificial intelligence across its operations to anticipate customer needs, elevate service quality, and drive sustainable growth. QIB’s AI strategy goes beyond personalisation.By integrating AI into areas such as fraud detection, process automation, and digital onboarding, the bank has significantly improved operational efficiency, enhanced security, and reduced its reliance on traditional, paper-based workflows.These advancements reflect QIB’s commitment to responsible AI innovation that aligns with the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030.In the Consumer Banking category, QIB was celebrated as Most Innovative Digital Bank in Qatar and the Middle East, Best in lending and Best Online Product Offerings in Qatar, affirming the bank’s consistent efforts to boost customer engagement and satisfaction through exceptional service and pioneering digital solutions.In the Corporate Banking category, QIB was recognised with multiple prestigious accolades at both the regional and local levels, being named the Best Mobile Banking App, Most Innovative Digital Bank, and Best Online/User Experience (UX) Portal in Qatar and the Middle East.The bank was also honoured with the Best SME Banking Platform in Qatar, reaffirming its commitment to empowering businesses through innovative, user-centric digital solutions. These recognitions highlight QIB’s continuous efforts to enhance customer experiences and set new benchmarks in digital banking.Moreover, QIB was named among the Top Innovators in Qatar, which is telling about its continuous drive to push the boundaries of digital transformation in the financial sector.QIB’s Group CEO Bassel Gamal commented: “We are happy to be recognised by Global Finance. These accolades mirror our efforts and commitment to investing in technology and innovation to provide secure, convenient, and customer-centric digital solutions. They also underscore QIB’s leading role in shaping the future of digital banking in Qatar and beyond.“On this occasion, I would like to thank the Board of Directors for their continuous support, Qatar Central Bank for its ongoing encouragement of innovation and digital transformation, and each one of our team members for their exceptional performance and dedication.”Global Finance World’s Best Digital Awards are widely regarded as on the most prestigious in the global banking industry and are seen as an endorsement of excellence and best practices.They recognise institutions that demonstrate exceptional performance, innovation, and leadership across different consumer sub-categories including Best User Experience (UX) Design, Best Mobile Banking App and Best Innovation and Transformation.

Qatar, represented by the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs, participated in the 11th meeting of GCC Islamic affairs ministers held in Kuwait Monday.The Qatari delegation participating in the meeting was headed by HE the Minister of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs Ghanem bin Shaheen bin Ghanem al-Ghanem.The delegation included HE the Undersecretary of the ministry Sheikh Dr Khalid bin Mohammed bin Ghanem al-Thani; Assistant Undersecretary for Islamic Affairs Khalid bin Shaheen al-Ghanem; Director General of the General Administration of Endowments (Awqaf) engineer Hassan bin Abdullah al-Marzouqi, and Director of the Islamic Affairs Department Mohammed bin Jabr al-Mannai.Kuwait’s Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Dr Mohammed Ibrahim al-Wasmi, said that these blessed fraternal meetings embody the visions and directives of the leaders of the GCC states, towards strengthening unity, integration, and rapprochement among member states in various fields.During the sessions, the ministers adopted a number of issues and topics of common interest, most notably: the exchange of scientific research and experiences in the field of endowments (Awqaf) among member states through interactive seminars via videoconferencing technology, in addition to presenting distinguished experiences in the field of Islamic affairs, and the organisation of the GCC Endowment Week and the GCC Week for the Protection of Religious and Moral Values ​​of the Family.The ministers also decided to establish standards and controls for the success of imams in their social role, prepare an intellectual security charter for mosque imams and regulatory indicators, and adopt technical guidelines for the construction and development of mosques, as well as a GCC vision for rationalising electricity consumption in mosques.The ministers emphasised the importance of employing artificial intelligence in the fields of Islamic affairs, advocacy, and guidance.They discussed a working paper on the risks of energy attraction, established a GCC scientific observatory to highlight the true image of Islam’s tolerance, and explored a shared vision for historic mosques.It was also decided to develop a national index to measure the impact of endowments on society and to hold a GCC competition to raise awareness of endowments, charitable work, and volunteering.The ministers also discussed mechanisms for developing joint action and integrating advocacy and guidance efforts, and exchanging best practices in consolidating the values ​​of moderation, tolerance and strengthening community partnerships in serving Islamic and humanitarian causes.On the sidelines of the meeting, Dr al-Wasmi honoured the members of the Permanent Committee working to study the proposals.He also honoured Qatar’s Undersecretary of the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs HE Sheikh Dr Khalid bin Mohammed bin Ghanem al-Thani, and Director of the Islamic Affairs Department Mohammed bin Jabr al-Mannai.

The death toll from an Indonesian school collapse rose to 45 on Sunday, officials said, as rescuers recovered more victims buried under the rubble.Part of the multi-storey building of Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in Indonesia's Java island collapsed suddenly on Monday as students gathered for afternoon prayers.Rescuers retrieved another 19 victims from the rubble on Sunday, National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) operations director Yudhi Bramantyo said."According to our calculation, the total number of victims we have evacuated are 149, with 45 reported dead ... and 104 survivors," Yudhi told reporters Sunday, up from a toll of 37 earlier on Sunday and including several body parts.Nanang Sigit, the head of the local search and rescue agency, confirmed the same death toll.Yudhi said before the latest bodies were found on Sunday that at least 26 people were still missing.Rescuers were still working around the clock in the rubble of the Islamic boarding school."We will continue to do our best," he said."In other words, we will probably extend the operation until we are sure that all victims... have been recovered."Yudhi estimated that authorities would be able to clear the rubble by Tuesday.The recovery operation was around "60 percent" complete, national disaster agency official Budi Irawan told reporters earlier on Sunday."Our hope is that by tomorrow everything will be levelled and we can determine the approximate number of victims who are in the rubble," Budi said in a livestreamed news conference.Investigators have been looking into the cause of the collapse, but initial signs pointed to substandard construction, according to experts.The rescue operation was complex because vibrations in one place could affect other areas, officials said.The families of the missing agreed on Thursday for heavy equipment to be used, after the 72-hour "golden period" for the best chance of survival came to an end.Lax construction standards have raised widespread concerns about building safety in Indonesia.At least three people were killed and dozens were injured in September when a building hosting a prayer recital collapsed in West Java.

The Foreign Ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, on Sunday welcomed the steps taken by Hamas regarding US President Donald Trump's proposal to end the war on Gaza, release all hostages, alive or deceased, and the immediate launch of negotiations on implementation mechanisms.In a joint statement, the foreign ministers also welcomed President Trump's call on Israel to immediately stop the bombing and to begin implementation of the exchange agreement and they expressed appreciation for his commitment to establishing peace in the region.They also affirmed that such developments represent a real opportunity to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire, and to address the critical humanitarian conditions facing people in Gaza Strip.The foreign ministers also welcomed the announcement by Hamas of its readiness to hand over the administration of Gaza to a transitional Palestinian Administrative Committee of independent technocrats. They emphasised the need for the immediate launch of negotiations to agree on mechanisms to implement the proposal, and address all of its aspects.The foreign ministers reiterated their joint commitment to support efforts towards the implementation of the proposal, to work for the immediate end of the war on Gaza, and achieve a comprehensive agreement that ensures unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, no displacement of the Palestinian people, and that no measures are taken that threaten the security and safety of civilians, the release of hostages, the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza, unifying Gaza and the West Bank, and reaching a security mechanism that guarantees the security of all sides, in a manner that leads to the full Israeli withdrawal, and to the rebuilding of Gaza, and that creates a path for a just peace on the basis of the two-state solution.