Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash said that Qatar's inability to provide evidence that it does not support terrorist groups and activities has led to it creating a string of “weak” excuses.
Dr Gargash has been one of Qatar's strongest critics since the crisis broke out on June 5, when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut all ties with Doha over its support of extremism and interference in other countries' affairs.
Dr Gargash said that Qatar's excuses have been weak, at best, adding Doha's state media has been inconsistent with its reporting.
“Confusion in rhetoric and politics is ongoing. Sometimes it’s the general public’s jealousy of Qatar, sometimes it’s maintaining Qatar’s sovereignty, and other times it’s Qatar’s support of democracy, sometimes it’s its support for the Arab Spring, and other times it’s because of the ‘UAE instigator’,” he tweeted on Wednesday evening.
Dr Gargash said that the only way the issue will be resolved is if Qatar changes its “policies of supporting extremism, terrorism, and of interfering in the domestic affairs of others”.
“We have become accustomed to the duality of Qatar’s political rhetoric, for it was the one that hosted the base, which bombed Iraq, and the channel that incited against it. It is the one that supported Hamas and warmed up to Israel, and it is the one that conspired against King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia,” he said.
“Qatar before 1995 was one with its neighbours, but the venture it set off on that year was a clear line of severance, the crisis seems to be continuing and the policies have hurt Qatar and the region."
The four Arab countries stand firm by their decision to boycott Qatar, saying they are willing to re-establish communications with Doha only if it adheres to regional and international agreements and the demands and principles they have issued.
Doha has so far refused to meet the quartet's 13 demands – including the closure of Qatar-owned Al Jazeera news channel, which the quartet says provides a platform for extremists and dissidents, and the shutting down of a permanent Turkish military base in the country.
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Kamindu Mendis bio
Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis
Born: September 30, 1998
Age: 20 years and 26 days
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team
Batting style: Left-hander
Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
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May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
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Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
