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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

Singapore

17 nations launch pact to protect vital undersea cables amid US, China absence

Singapore’s defence chief tells the Shangri-La Dialogue the pact aims to explore potential areas of collaboration and share best practices.

2 hours ago

Middle East

Outside In | How Trump’s war on Iran is jeopardising Asia’s remittance lifeline

29 May 2026 - 4:30PM

The Philippines

Homesick Filipino migrants count cost of separation for a ‘better’ future

28 May 2026 - 5:09PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

US hits Iran with fresh strikes amid negotiations to end war

Marco Rubio insists a deal with Iran remains within reach after the US military claimed its attacks were in ‘self-defence’.

26 May 2026 - 9:34PM

A billboard in Tehran depicting the Strait of Hormuz reads 'Forever in Iran's Hand'. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump now ties Iran deal to major expansion of Abraham Accords

US president suggests Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and other regional powers normalise ties with Israel to secure peace.

26 May 2026 - 8:42AM

Pakistan

UAE deports Pakistani Shiites: jobs lost and savings frozen amid Iran war

Over one hundred deported Pakistanis said they were unable to retrieve their luggage or savings before being placed ‌on deportation flights.

25 May 2026 - 4:39PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Netanyahu increasingly isolated as Trump pursues Iran peace deal

The lack of a decisive victory in the Iran war has led Trump to lose confidence in the Israeli prime minister, analysts say.

25 May 2026 - 6:48PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump points towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on December 29, 2025. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong transport

Exclusive | Hong Kong airport set for volume shift after flights rejigged amid fuel crisis

Some airlines say they will operate all scheduled flights beyond June after initial consolidation efforts to offset higher jet fuel prices.

25 May 2026 - 1:41PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Israel thrusts a reluctant UAE into the open over defence ties

Disclosures about Iron Dome batteries and secret meetings have exposed ties analysts say the UAE would rather handle ‘more discreetly’.

23 May 2026 - 1:00PMvideocam

China's military weapons

China’s J-10CE jets defeat Eurofighters 9-0 in mock battles, CCTV confirms

While state broadcaster does not identify the drill, details appear to match a 2024 exercise in Qatar involving Pakistan.

21 May 2026 - 8:05PM

Pakistan is the only country besides China known to possess the J-10C fighter. Photo: CCTV

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

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

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump calls off new Iran attack at request of Gulf states

US president signals possible Iran breakthrough as ‘serious negotiations’ continue to end conflict.

19 May 2026 - 6:14AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

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

US leader calls Iran’s response to its peace proposal ‘totally unacceptable’, while a Qatari ship passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

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

An Iranian walks past an anti-US and Israel mural in a street in Tehran on Friday. Photo: EPA

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

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

A woman walks past an anti-US billboard depicting US President Donald Trump and the Strait of Hormuz, in Tehran, Iran, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

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

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

A couple looks at a model of the entire industrial chain of green hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, and oil displayed at the China Energy Engineering Group pavilion in Boao on March 25. Photo: Xinhua

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

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

US Vice-President J.D. Vance (centre) walks with Pakistan’s Field Marshall Asim Munir (left) and Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar after arriving for talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad on Saturday. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

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

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Qatar

17 nations launch pact to protect vital undersea cables amid US, China absence

Singapore’s defence chief tells the Shangri-La Dialogue the pact aims to explore potential areas of collaboration and share best practices.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Outside In | How Trump’s war on Iran is jeopardising Asia’s remittance lifeline

Homesick Filipino migrants count cost of separation for a ‘better’ future

US hits Iran with fresh strikes amid negotiations to end war

Marco Rubio insists a deal with Iran remains within reach after the US military claimed its attacks were in ‘self-defence’.

Trump now ties Iran deal to major expansion of Abraham Accords

US president suggests Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and other regional powers normalise ties with Israel to secure peace.

UAE deports Pakistani Shiites: jobs lost and savings frozen amid Iran war

Over one hundred deported Pakistanis said they were unable to retrieve their luggage or savings before being placed ‌on deportation flights.

Netanyahu increasingly isolated as Trump pursues Iran peace deal

The lack of a decisive victory in the Iran war has led Trump to lose confidence in the Israeli prime minister, analysts say.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Exclusive | Hong Kong airport set for volume shift after flights rejigged amid fuel crisis

Some airlines say they will operate all scheduled flights beyond June after initial consolidation efforts to offset higher jet fuel prices.

Israel thrusts a reluctant UAE into the open over defence ties

Disclosures about Iron Dome batteries and secret meetings have exposed ties analysts say the UAE would rather handle ‘more discreetly’.

China’s J-10CE jets defeat Eurofighters 9-0 in mock battles, CCTV confirms

While state broadcaster does not identify the drill, details appear to match a 2024 exercise in Qatar involving Pakistan.

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

US president signals possible Iran breakthrough as ‘serious negotiations’ continue to end conflict.

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

US leader calls Iran’s response to its peace proposal ‘totally unacceptable’, while a Qatari ship passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

‘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.

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.

Outside In | How Trump’s war on Iran is jeopardising Asia’s remittance lifeline

Exclusive | Hong Kong airport set for volume shift after flights rejigged amid fuel crisis