Qatar’s ambassador to Palestine, Dr Mohammed Al Emadi, yesterday signed a $1.7 million (Dh6.2m) contract for the construction of three new projects in Gaza.
Of the total, $630,000 was allocated to the first phase of building the external walls and foundations of a controversial project that Qatar shelved two years ago when it prompted public outrage.
In 2017, Qatar announced its intention to build a new headquarters for its Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza and a villa residence for its envoy to Palestine.
The only problem was that the foundation stone for the project was on a landmark that has great sentimental value among Palestinians – Al Ansar Military Compound, which housed the Gaza office of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
In 2001, Israel bombed the site’s helipad while Arafat was besieged in Ramallah. But years after Arafat’s death in 2004, the site was renovated, as was the helicopter he used to travel around the region. The site has been turned into training venue for the Palestinian security forces and a national monument.
Amid denials from the local Hamas authorities of selling the land to Doha, the initial Qatari announcement about the project stirred enormous resentment and drew criticism from across the political spectrum. Several leading Palestinian political figures asked Qatar to stop the scheme.
Walid Al Awad, a senior member of the Palestinian People’s Party, said that such a step was provocative and illegal since “it bypassed the Palestinian Authority”.
Former PA justice minister Freih Abu Mudian wrote an open letter to Qatar’s emir appealing against the project, and argued that the site has a “symbolic and historic value to the Palestinian people, and this building will cause pain to the hearts and eyes of everyone who’ll pass by it”.
In 2017, exiled Palestinian MP Mohammed Dahlan, called the Qatari project “a clear and explicit breach of all diplomatic norms”.
After a storm of official and public criticism, Qatar halted construction at the site in August 2017.
Yet today, two years after the dispute began, Qatar’s ambassador restarted the project and signed the construction orders for the first phase of the building. This unilateral step reignited anger and concern among Gaza’s public, which fumed at Qatar’s persistence in building the project at the sensitive site.
Several Gazans raised questions about the choice of location for the construction.
"It's deeply provocative how they merely waited until we forgot about it, and now they resume such meddling with national Palestinian heritage," Gazan researcher, Ahmed Ali, told The National. "Did Gaza run out of alternative places to build Qatar's ambassador house?"
Others emphasised the value Al Ansar holds for them and the significance of replacing it with a residence for Qatar’s envoy.
“Arafat is the founder of Palestinian nationalism and the father of the Palestinian people,” Gazan student Zaid Mahmoud said.
“To build the Qatari envoy’s residence on top of Arafat’s helipad signals that Qatar has successfully established a Hamas entity under its sovereignty in Gaza, instead of preserving the remnants of a Palestinian state. It’s an expression of domination.”
Others said the Qatari project was exploiting impoverished Gazans.
“There’s one clear message out of Qatar’s humiliating persistence to obliterate the last footprints of Arafat in Gaza,” Palestinian political analyst Ali Omer said.
“In return for meagre cash handouts, Qatar can and will do as it pleases, exploiting the needs and wants of the besieged Gazan people.”
Gazan activist Mohammed Hamdon compared Qatar’s actions with Israel’s in 2001.
“Israel tried to destroy all features of Palestinian sovereignty in Gaza, including the president’s helipad. Now does Qatar simply want complete the job and obliterate the last Arafat site permanently?” he said.
The local authorities have not yet disclosed what will become of Arafat’s helicopter once the project begins. But it appears that the anger Doha faced in 2017 is set to reignite.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
At a glance
- 20,000 new jobs for Emiratis over three years
- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills
- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis
- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector
- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes
- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
EXPATS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lulu%20Wang%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nicole%20Kidman%2C%20Sarayu%20Blue%2C%20Ji-young%20Yoo%2C%20Brian%20Tee%2C%20Jack%20Huston%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ronaldo's record at Man Utd
Seasons 2003/04 - 2008/09
Appearances 230
Goals 115
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
