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Qatar

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Qatar. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Doha

Head of State

Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani

Head of Government

Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani

A motorcyclist passes by liquefied natural gas tankers in the Malacca Strait off the coast of Malaysia on April 15. Photo: EPA

War and conflict

Opinion | Malacca Strait could be the next hinge point if Asia isn’t careful

Straits like Hormuz and Malacca are pressure points where commerce and power converge. What once defined success now defines vulnerability.

20 May 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump calls off new Iran attack at request of Gulf states

19 May 2026 - 6:14AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump, Tehran and a Qatari tanker transit: here’s what happened overnight

11 May 2026 - 4:18PM

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Playing games’: Trump calls Iran’s response to US peace proposal ‘unacceptable’

Both sides remain far apart as Tehran demands war reparations and control of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran state TV.

11 May 2026 - 10:57AM

The USS Rafael Peralta enforcing a US maritime blockade on April 24. Photo: US Navy via AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran responds to US proposal, as Qatari tanker crosses Strait of Hormuz

The response, sent via Pakistan, focuses on ending the war on all fronts, especially Lebanon, and on the safety of shipping in the waterway.

11 May 2026 - 12:19AMvideocam

United States

US aims to deploy Qatar-gifted luxury jet as Air Force One for Fourth of July

There are efforts to possibly deliver the Boeing 747 even earlier, to align with Trump’s birthday on June 14.

7 May 2026 - 5:57AM

Middle East

‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE lead a push for a new trade architecture with multiple nodes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

3 May 2026 - 10:30AM

The port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates on April 17. Photo: EPA/The UAE Presidential Court

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran will not accept ‘imposed’ peace, Trump not satisfied with negotiations

US lawmakers are pressuring the President to resolve the war, while Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is attempting to ease the war’s toll on Iran’s economy.

2 May 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

Saudi Arabia

UAE’s Opec exit signals aim to accelerate foreign policy diversification

Iran’s attacks on Gulf states have forced Abu Dhabi to rethink its place within the Saudi Arabia-led diplomatic architecture, analysts say.

2 May 2026 - 5:00PMvideocam

United States

Taliban, Congo? Afghans stuck in Qatar who helped US war face more stress

After reports the US could send 1,100 Afghans who assisted the US to the DRC, the Taliban urged them to instead head back to their homeland.

25 Apr 2026 - 11:25PMvideocam

A woman carries a child as they arrive in Qatar with other evacuees from Afghanistan in 2021, following the US withdrawal. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt: the Middle East’s new power brokers?

‘Fear of US abandonment’ is helping forge a new Middle East – but don’t expect an Islamic Nato just yet.

25 Apr 2026 - 1:30PM

(From left) Foreign Ministers Badr Abdelatty of Egypt, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Ishaq Dar of Pakistan and Hakan Fidan of Turkey meet to discuss regional de-escalation in Islamabad, Pakistan, on March 29. Photo: Turkish Foreign Ministry/Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

Powerful reaction: how Iran war could spark Asia’s green hydrogen surge

The war-driven hike in fossil fuel prices is narrowing the cost gap, making the clean energy alternative look like a good option.

23 Apr 2026 - 4:33PMvideocam

Singapore

Man convicted of trafficking Singaporean Tinder date for Dubai sex work

Achraf Arjaouy targeted the victim by pretending to be a wealthy pilot from Qatar who wished to marry her.

23 Apr 2026 - 2:15PM

Food and agriculture

Asia braces for food shortages as ‘super El Nino’ and Iran war collide

A precarious planting season looms amid suppressed rainfall and soaring fertiliser costs threatening the region’s harvests.

22 Apr 2026 - 5:06PM

Women sit and eat rice noodles on the sidewalk in Hanoi, Vietnam, on April 14. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong economy

Letters | How Hong Kong can attract talent and capital from the Middle East

Readers discuss the opportunity for the city created by the Iran war, the proposal to allow taxis into Discovery Bay, and a planned pig farm in Sheung Shui.

21 Apr 2026 - 11:30AM

An Emirates Airbus A380 passenger aircraft prepares for landing at Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 8. Photo: AFP

Pakistan

Pakistan seeks to shield Gulf states as US-Iran talks set to resume

A senior official involved in Islamabad’s diplomacy says it is trying to defuse the crisis ‘in any way we can’.

15 Apr 2026 - 10:50PMvideocam

China energy security

Which countries are most vulnerable as US imposes Persian Gulf blockade?

Nomura says more than 90 per cent of the crude oil imported by Japan and the Philippines comes from the Middle East.

15 Apr 2026 - 8:00AM

US, Israel war on Iran

Asia’s energy supply at breaking point as US blockades Hormuz

Nearly 90 per cent of the region’s crude oil is now at risk as stalled peace talks and a naval stand-off raise the spectre of stagflation.

14 Apr 2026 - 6:09PM

A liquefied natural gas tanker is seen at a port in Yokohama, Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture, on April 8. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

US-Iran talks leave Gulf states on edge about the price of peace

The six GCC nations worry that the US will prioritise Tehran’s needs and leave the Gulf monarchies vulnerable to Iranian retaliation.

10 Apr 2026 - 7:01PMvideocam

Israel-Gaza war

Gaza marks 6 months of ceasefire. Does it offer lessons for the Iran war?

A ceasefire has been in place between Israel and Hamas since October 10, but deadly attacks have continued and limited aid is entering.

10 Apr 2026 - 5:14PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Why US-Iran truce may not end high airfares and flight disruptions

According to airline bosses, it will still take months for jet fuel supplies and prices to normalise.

9 Apr 2026 - 9:53PMvideocam

An Emirates A380 aircraft is parked at Cornwall Airport Newquay in southwest England on Monday. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

Strait of Hormuz: is a Trump‑Iran joint venture really possible?

With regime change increasingly out of reach, the US president may pivot towards a business deal with Tehran’s fractured leadership.

9 Apr 2026 - 8:45PMvideocam

Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates last month. Photo: AP

Middle East

Opinion | For Gulf states, geography is both a generous and treacherous patron

Sandwiched between Iran and Israel, oil-rich transport hubs like the UAE now face the fragility of their newly built economic prosperity.

7 Apr 2026 - 4:30PM

Ukraine war

Ukraine and Syria pledge security cooperation as Zelensky expands Middle East tour

Zelensky and Sharaa discuss drone defence and food security as Kyiv seeks to export its military expertise.

6 Apr 2026 - 9:50AM

Middle East

UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait lose water, energy infrastructure to Iran strikes

Gulf countries have faced repeated drone and missile salvoes over Iran’s accusation that its neighbours allow US forces to carry out attacks from their territory.

6 Apr 2026 - 9:03AM

Smoke plumes billowing from the Jebel Ali port and desalination plant in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, after an Iranian strike on March 2. Photo: AFP

China-EU relations

China, Europe and why Beijing took a swing at Iran over the Strait of Hormuz

Beijing takes a stand at the United Nations at the closure of shipping lanes.

3 Apr 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

About a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies usually pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Getty Images/TNS

US, Israel war on Iran

Helium supply shock threatens Asian chipmakers as economic slowdown fears mount

Iranian attacks on Qatar’s LNG facilities are curbing the supply of helium, a crucial gas used in chipmaking.

3 Apr 2026 - 6:29PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Editorial | Trump’s Iran address fails to set minds at ease or clearly signal direction

The Iran war is a wake-up call to many countries about their overdependence on the US for security.

3 Apr 2026 - 7:15AM

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Qatar

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Malacca Strait could be the next hinge point if Asia isn’t careful

Straits like Hormuz and Malacca are pressure points where commerce and power converge. What once defined success now defines vulnerability.

Trump calls off new Iran attack at request of Gulf states

Trump, Tehran and a Qatari tanker transit: here’s what happened overnight

‘Playing games’: Trump calls Iran’s response to US peace proposal ‘unacceptable’

Both sides remain far apart as Tehran demands war reparations and control of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran state TV.

Iran responds to US proposal, as Qatari tanker crosses Strait of Hormuz

The response, sent via Pakistan, focuses on ending the war on all fronts, especially Lebanon, and on the safety of shipping in the waterway.

US aims to deploy Qatar-gifted luxury jet as Air Force One for Fourth of July

There are efforts to possibly deliver the Boeing 747 even earlier, to align with Trump’s birthday on June 14.

‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE lead a push for a new trade architecture with multiple nodes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

Iran will not accept ‘imposed’ peace, Trump not satisfied with negotiations

US lawmakers are pressuring the President to resolve the war, while Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is attempting to ease the war’s toll on Iran’s economy.

UAE’s Opec exit signals aim to accelerate foreign policy diversification

Iran’s attacks on Gulf states have forced Abu Dhabi to rethink its place within the Saudi Arabia-led diplomatic architecture, analysts say.

Taliban, Congo? Afghans stuck in Qatar who helped US war face more stress

After reports the US could send 1,100 Afghans who assisted the US to the DRC, the Taliban urged them to instead head back to their homeland.

Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt: the Middle East’s new power brokers?

‘Fear of US abandonment’ is helping forge a new Middle East – but don’t expect an Islamic Nato just yet.

Powerful reaction: how Iran war could spark Asia’s green hydrogen surge

The war-driven hike in fossil fuel prices is narrowing the cost gap, making the clean energy alternative look like a good option.

Man convicted of trafficking Singaporean Tinder date for Dubai sex work

Achraf Arjaouy targeted the victim by pretending to be a wealthy pilot from Qatar who wished to marry her.

Asia braces for food shortages as ‘super El Nino’ and Iran war collide

A precarious planting season looms amid suppressed rainfall and soaring fertiliser costs threatening the region’s harvests.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Letters | How Hong Kong can attract talent and capital from the Middle East

Readers discuss the opportunity for the city created by the Iran war, the proposal to allow taxis into Discovery Bay, and a planned pig farm in Sheung Shui.

Pakistan seeks to shield Gulf states as US-Iran talks set to resume

A senior official involved in Islamabad’s diplomacy says it is trying to defuse the crisis ‘in any way we can’.

Which countries are most vulnerable as US imposes Persian Gulf blockade?

Nomura says more than 90 per cent of the crude oil imported by Japan and the Philippines comes from the Middle East.

Asia’s energy supply at breaking point as US blockades Hormuz

Nearly 90 per cent of the region’s crude oil is now at risk as stalled peace talks and a naval stand-off raise the spectre of stagflation.

US-Iran talks leave Gulf states on edge about the price of peace

The six GCC nations worry that the US will prioritise Tehran’s needs and leave the Gulf monarchies vulnerable to Iranian retaliation.

Gaza marks 6 months of ceasefire. Does it offer lessons for the Iran war?

A ceasefire has been in place between Israel and Hamas since October 10, but deadly attacks have continued and limited aid is entering.

Why US-Iran truce may not end high airfares and flight disruptions

According to airline bosses, it will still take months for jet fuel supplies and prices to normalise.

Strait of Hormuz: is a Trump‑Iran joint venture really possible?

With regime change increasingly out of reach, the US president may pivot towards a business deal with Tehran’s fractured leadership.

Opinion | For Gulf states, geography is both a generous and treacherous patron

Sandwiched between Iran and Israel, oil-rich transport hubs like the UAE now face the fragility of their newly built economic prosperity.

Ukraine and Syria pledge security cooperation as Zelensky expands Middle East tour

Zelensky and Sharaa discuss drone defence and food security as Kyiv seeks to export its military expertise.

UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait lose water, energy infrastructure to Iran strikes

Gulf countries have faced repeated drone and missile salvoes over Iran’s accusation that its neighbours allow US forces to carry out attacks from their territory.

China, Europe and why Beijing took a swing at Iran over the Strait of Hormuz

Beijing takes a stand at the United Nations at the closure of shipping lanes.

Helium supply shock threatens Asian chipmakers as economic slowdown fears mount

Iranian attacks on Qatar’s LNG facilities are curbing the supply of helium, a crucial gas used in chipmaking.

Editorial | Trump’s Iran address fails to set minds at ease or clearly signal direction

The Iran war is a wake-up call to many countries about their overdependence on the US for security.

Opinion | Malacca Strait could be the next hinge point if Asia isn’t careful

Letters | How Hong Kong can attract talent and capital from the Middle East