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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

Visitors take pictures with 2-metre-tall promoters at Kazakhstan booth at Hong Kong’s International Travel Expo on June 11. The Belt and Road Office has concluded memorandums with key institutions in Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan, laying solid groundwork for collaboration. Photo: Nora Tam

Belt and Road Initiative

Opinion | 3 key belt and road connectivities that Hong Kong drives

Hong Kong’s Belt and Road Office is focusing on strengthening links related to infrastructure, rules and standards, and people-to-people connections.

3 Sep 2026 - 5:30AM

US, Israel war on Iran

US carries out new strikes on Iranian targets as hostilities flare

2 Sep 2026 - 4:56PM

Iran

Open Questions | Trita Parsi on why US air strikes strengthened Iran’s hand

31 Aug 2026 - 10:04AMvideocam

China-Middle East relations

China’s Middle East policy at a crossroads 6 months into US-Israeli war on Iran

Gulf states are rethinking their strategy after coming under attack, but observers say Beijing does not want to commit itself too deeply.

29 Aug 2026 - 7:40PMvideocam

Smoke billows over the town of Mangaf, south of Kuwait City, following an Iranian strike in June. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

Iranian leaders admit economic toll of war with US as trade drops 35%

With the war now at the six-month mark, the Trump administration has stepped up efforts to punish Iran financially with an ‘economic D-Day’.

29 Aug 2026 - 11:23AMvideocam

Malaysia

Why Malaysia’s push for 15 million Muslim tourists is no sure thing

With disruption to long-haul flights, Malaysia may not draw more Muslim visitors at the expense of the travel hubs in Dubai and Doha.

28 Aug 2026 - 8:00PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Hormuz deal presses pause on Iran conflict, but fears of ‘forever war’ remain

Tehran is likely to stick to its guns in the hopes that the US midterms will bring about a Republican defeat, analysts say.

28 Aug 2026 - 1:00PMvideocam

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (right) greets Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi in Tehran on Tuesday. Photo: Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs/EPA

US, Israel war on Iran

US starts returning staff to some Middle East missions after war evacuations

US move signals lower risk of immediate regional escalation, though select missions will cap capacity at 75 to 85 per cent.

26 Aug 2026 - 8:59AM

Hong Kong transport

Mable Chan uses Qatar Airways office opening to drop Central Asia route reveal

SCMP has learned that Cathay Pacific Airways is the airline behind plans to launch direct route to Almaty, Kazakhstan.

19 Aug 2026 - 9:29PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump posts map with Hormuz as ‘new US territory’, says no Iran talks planned

This is not the first time the US president, faced with a foreign policy obstacle, has threatened to annex foreign territory.

19 Aug 2026 - 4:24AM

A vessel is seen in the Strait of Hormuz near the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran, in June. Photo: ISNA/WANA via Reuters

Israel-Gaza war

US envoy Kushner meets Hamas leader in push for Gaza road map

Israeli PM Netanyahu last week rejected the US-backed 15-point plan in a rare public show of defiance against the Trump administration.

17 Aug 2026 - 2:22AM

Jared Kushner in Washington in February. On Sunday, the US negotiator held a rare meeting with Hamas’ chief Khalil al-Hayya. Photo: Getty Images / TNS

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran urges Qatar to release pilots shot down in Middle East war

The trio were allegedly captured after their Su-24 fighter jets went down during a sortie to the Gulf state in March.

16 Aug 2026 - 3:07AM

Donald Trump

How US staged Air Force One departure to hide Trump’s secret exit from Turkey

A report said the US president secretly swapped planes while leaving a Nato summit due to an Iranian assassination threat.

11 Aug 2026 - 11:31AM

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump demands Iran pay compensation as hopes fade for Hormuz agreement

US president says the issue must be included in future negotiations after Tehran sought damages for US and Israeli strikes.

11 Aug 2026 - 5:55AMvideocam

Black smoke rises following explosions near a military base hosting US forces in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil in July. Photo: AP

Saudi Arabia

How Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan pact acts as ‘insurance’ over US disengagement

The Mecca deal may emerge as a third geopolitical ‘centre of gravity’ in the Middle East, with more members joining, analysts say.

9 Aug 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (centre), flanked by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca on Friday. Photo: Turkish Presidency Press Office/AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

How US became trapped in ‘dreadful situation’ of its own making over Iran war

With Iran holding firm to its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, Trump faces one of two choices: capitulate or risk a ‘forever war’, experts say.

6 Aug 2026 - 3:21PMvideocam

Israel-Gaza war

Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ conditions Israel’s Gaza withdrawal on Hamas disarmament

US-backed panel seeks to calm Israeli pushback over framework for war-torn enclave.

4 Aug 2026 - 3:20PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump claims ‘last chance’ for Iran to strike deal in latest warning

US president also says negotiations with Tehran are ‘going on right now’ despite Tehran’s insistence no direct talks were under way.

4 Aug 2026 - 5:24AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump answers questions from the media in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Monday. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says new talks with Iran set to begin after calling off attack

US president said negotiations would start Monday, but offered no details on the location or participants.

3 Aug 2026 - 12:51PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran’s foreign minister warns of any ‘adventurous action’ by US

Abbas Araqchi said Iran would retaliate if the US follows through on Trump’s threat of fresh attacks on the country.

2 Aug 2026 - 7:01AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

US embassies urge citizens to consider departing Middle East

The warning by embassies including those in the UAE, Qatar, Israel, Oman and Bahrain came after Trump threatened to hit Iran ‘very hard’.

2 Aug 2026 - 12:57AMvideocam

Passengers at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, UAE. US embassies in the Middle East on Saturday warned Americans to be ready to leave the region amid an escalation in hostilities. Photo: UCG / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

United States

‘Show must go on,’ Trump tells press gala 3 months after assassination attempt

Speech to White House press corps dinner included jokes about a third term, jibes at opponents and the media – and praise for Xi Jinping.

25 Jul 2026 - 12:30PMvideocam

The US president donned a Trump 2028 cap during the speech. Photo: AP

Food and Drinks

How Doha’s Mila is giving modern Levantine offerings a local spin in Hong Kong

Marc Mahfouz of Michelin-recognised restaurant is serving makdous, velvety hummus and other Middle Eastern plates in the city until August 9.

25 Jul 2026 - 7:33AM

Donald Trump

US prosecutors dropping New York Times subpoenas over Trump plane reporting

The newspaper had reported that Trump left Turkey ‌on the old Air Force One because a new plane donated by Qatar lacked defensive ⁠features.

24 Jul 2026 - 4:09AM

China energy security

China’s June Gulf crude imports plunge amid slump in demand, higher prices

Chinese imports of liquefied natural gas rose 8.3 per cent year on year in June, while the country purchased nearly 30 per cent more coal in the month.

20 Jul 2026 - 8:30PM

This aerial photo shows a tanker unloading imported crude oil at a port in Qingdao, in China’s eastern Shandong province on June 25, 2026. Photo: CN-STR/AFP

Donald Trump

Trump’s new Air Force One to be ‘maxed out’ following missile defence fears

The upgrades were completed ⁠so quickly that some experts expressed concern that the plane might not be as secure as the previous one.

20 Jul 2026 - 12:04PM

Air Force One with President Donald Trump on board taxis on the tarmac after landing at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday. Photo: AP

US, Israel war on Iran

2 US troops dead, 1 missing after Iran attacks base in Jordan

These are the first American service members killed due to direct Iranian fire since the opening days of the war.

19 Jul 2026 - 8:50AM

US, Israel war on Iran

US and Iran attack infrastructure, raising fears of escalation

Two oil tankers exploded and caught fire after passing through a mined route south of Hormuz, Iranian media reported.

18 Jul 2026 - 8:07PMvideocam

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Qatar

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | 3 key belt and road connectivities that Hong Kong drives

Hong Kong’s Belt and Road Office is focusing on strengthening links related to infrastructure, rules and standards, and people-to-people connections.

US carries out new strikes on Iranian targets as hostilities flare

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Open Questions | Trita Parsi on why US air strikes strengthened Iran’s hand

China’s Middle East policy at a crossroads 6 months into US-Israeli war on Iran

Gulf states are rethinking their strategy after coming under attack, but observers say Beijing does not want to commit itself too deeply.

Iranian leaders admit economic toll of war with US as trade drops 35%

With the war now at the six-month mark, the Trump administration has stepped up efforts to punish Iran financially with an ‘economic D-Day’.

Why Malaysia’s push for 15 million Muslim tourists is no sure thing

With disruption to long-haul flights, Malaysia may not draw more Muslim visitors at the expense of the travel hubs in Dubai and Doha.

Hormuz deal presses pause on Iran conflict, but fears of ‘forever war’ remain

Tehran is likely to stick to its guns in the hopes that the US midterms will bring about a Republican defeat, analysts say.

US starts returning staff to some Middle East missions after war evacuations

US move signals lower risk of immediate regional escalation, though select missions will cap capacity at 75 to 85 per cent.

Mable Chan uses Qatar Airways office opening to drop Central Asia route reveal

SCMP has learned that Cathay Pacific Airways is the airline behind plans to launch direct route to Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Trump posts map with Hormuz as ‘new US territory’, says no Iran talks planned

This is not the first time the US president, faced with a foreign policy obstacle, has threatened to annex foreign territory.

US envoy Kushner meets Hamas leader in push for Gaza road map

Israeli PM Netanyahu last week rejected the US-backed 15-point plan in a rare public show of defiance against the Trump administration.

Iran urges Qatar to release pilots shot down in Middle East war

The trio were allegedly captured after their Su-24 fighter jets went down during a sortie to the Gulf state in March.

How US staged Air Force One departure to hide Trump’s secret exit from Turkey

A report said the US president secretly swapped planes while leaving a Nato summit due to an Iranian assassination threat.

Trump demands Iran pay compensation as hopes fade for Hormuz agreement

US president says the issue must be included in future negotiations after Tehran sought damages for US and Israeli strikes.

How Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan pact acts as ‘insurance’ over US disengagement

The Mecca deal may emerge as a third geopolitical ‘centre of gravity’ in the Middle East, with more members joining, analysts say.

How US became trapped in ‘dreadful situation’ of its own making over Iran war

With Iran holding firm to its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, Trump faces one of two choices: capitulate or risk a ‘forever war’, experts say.

Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ conditions Israel’s Gaza withdrawal on Hamas disarmament

US-backed panel seeks to calm Israeli pushback over framework for war-torn enclave.

Trump claims ‘last chance’ for Iran to strike deal in latest warning

US president also says negotiations with Tehran are ‘going on right now’ despite Tehran’s insistence no direct talks were under way.

Trump says new talks with Iran set to begin after calling off attack

US president said negotiations would start Monday, but offered no details on the location or participants.

Iran’s foreign minister warns of any ‘adventurous action’ by US

Abbas Araqchi said Iran would retaliate if the US follows through on Trump’s threat of fresh attacks on the country.

US embassies urge citizens to consider departing Middle East

The warning by embassies including those in the UAE, Qatar, Israel, Oman and Bahrain came after Trump threatened to hit Iran ‘very hard’.

‘Show must go on,’ Trump tells press gala 3 months after assassination attempt

Speech to White House press corps dinner included jokes about a third term, jibes at opponents and the media – and praise for Xi Jinping.

How Doha’s Mila is giving modern Levantine offerings a local spin in Hong Kong

Marc Mahfouz of Michelin-recognised restaurant is serving makdous, velvety hummus and other Middle Eastern plates in the city until August 9.

US prosecutors dropping New York Times subpoenas over Trump plane reporting

The newspaper had reported that Trump left Turkey ‌on the old Air Force One because a new plane donated by Qatar lacked defensive ⁠features.

China’s June Gulf crude imports plunge amid slump in demand, higher prices

Chinese imports of liquefied natural gas rose 8.3 per cent year on year in June, while the country purchased nearly 30 per cent more coal in the month.

Trump’s new Air Force One to be ‘maxed out’ following missile defence fears

The upgrades were completed ⁠so quickly that some experts expressed concern that the plane might not be as secure as the previous one.

2 US troops dead, 1 missing after Iran attacks base in Jordan

These are the first American service members killed due to direct Iranian fire since the opening days of the war.

US and Iran attack infrastructure, raising fears of escalation

Two oil tankers exploded and caught fire after passing through a mined route south of Hormuz, Iranian media reported.

Opinion | 3 key belt and road connectivities that Hong Kong drives

Open Questions | Trita Parsi on why US air strikes strengthened Iran’s hand