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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

Qatar Airways has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Airport Authority. Photo: AFP

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

19 Aug 2026 - 4:24AM

Israel-Gaza war

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

17 Aug 2026 - 2:22AM

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

Two Russian Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft are seen in the Baltic Sea in April 2016. The Iranian pilots were also flying Su-24s. Photo: US Navy via AP,

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

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 President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday. Photo: AFP

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

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

A mezze spread of small dishes at the Mila pop-up at Rosewood Hong Kong. Photos: Handout

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

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

China trade

Helium squeeze: China vows trade controls on gas to shield critical industries

A by-product of LNG production, helium is critical for hi-tech industries including semiconductors, medical equipment and aerospace.

16 Jul 2026 - 5:33PMvideocam

An aerial view of a facility handling gases such as helium. Photo: Getty Images

Law

Legal Tales | Everything you never wanted to know about hosting the World Cup

Why lawyers have to keep their eye on the ball when nations become eager to host the next Fifa World Cup.

16 Jul 2026 - 9:30AM

Official sponsors pay billions for exclusivity, meaning host nations must establish “clean zones” around stadiums where unauthorised advertising and street trading are prohibited. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Iran war is no longer a contest over just the Strait of Hormuz

The Aq Taqeh Khan bridge attack shows the war has expanded to the infrastructure that lets Iran function when the strait is contested.

13 Jul 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

US and Iran trade more attacks as battle over Hormuz intensifies

Weekend exchanges in the Middle East threaten to collapse a fragile interim deal aimed at ending the war.

13 Jul 2026 - 8:52PM

Middle East

Obituary | Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who raised Qatar’s global profile, dies at 74

The former ruler turned Qatar from a backwater into an international crossroads in less than a generation.

12 Jul 2026 - 2:01PM

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran closes Hormuz, attacks Gulf states as US says strait remains open

The US attacks came after the IRGC Navy said it had hit an ‘unauthorised’ vessel that was travelling on a non-approved route.

12 Jul 2026 - 11:51PMvideocam

A woman walks past an anti-US mural next to the former US embassy in Tehran on Thursday. Photo: EPA

Donald Trump

Trump subpoenas journalists over Qatari Air Force One reporting

The Trump administration has subpoenaed several New York Times journalists after their report on security concerns involving the new Air Force One.

11 Jul 2026 - 9:20PM

Donald Trump

Scare Force One? Security questions swirl over Trump’s new plane

The Secret Service advised the US president to switch from the luxury jet gifted by Qatar to an older aircraft, reports say.

11 Jul 2026 - 5:02AM

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Qatar

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

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

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.

Helium squeeze: China vows trade controls on gas to shield critical industries

A by-product of LNG production, helium is critical for hi-tech industries including semiconductors, medical equipment and aerospace.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Legal Tales | Everything you never wanted to know about hosting the World Cup

Why lawyers have to keep their eye on the ball when nations become eager to host the next Fifa World Cup.

Opinion | Iran war is no longer a contest over just the Strait of Hormuz

The Aq Taqeh Khan bridge attack shows the war has expanded to the infrastructure that lets Iran function when the strait is contested.

US and Iran trade more attacks as battle over Hormuz intensifies

Weekend exchanges in the Middle East threaten to collapse a fragile interim deal aimed at ending the war.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Obituary | Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who raised Qatar’s global profile, dies at 74

The former ruler turned Qatar from a backwater into an international crossroads in less than a generation.

Iran closes Hormuz, attacks Gulf states as US says strait remains open

The US attacks came after the IRGC Navy said it had hit an ‘unauthorised’ vessel that was travelling on a non-approved route.

Trump subpoenas journalists over Qatari Air Force One reporting

The Trump administration has subpoenaed several New York Times journalists after their report on security concerns involving the new Air Force One.

Scare Force One? Security questions swirl over Trump’s new plane

The Secret Service advised the US president to switch from the luxury jet gifted by Qatar to an older aircraft, reports say.

Legal Tales | Everything you never wanted to know about hosting the World Cup

Obituary | Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who raised Qatar’s global profile, dies at 74