affairs > local
EXIT PERMIT APPEALS PROCESSED; 25% REJECTION RATE A new body set up to handle complaints from migrant workers seeking their sponsor’s permission to exit the country received hundreds of claims over two months, according to government data. The Exit Permit Grievances Committee received 761 applications between December 13, when new labour policies took effect, and February 15. Of those, 485 applications were approved and 213 were rejected, with the rest still being considered.
MALL OF QATAR OFFICIALLY INAUGURATED HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani attended the inauguration of the Mall of Qatar in Al Rayyan. Pictures courtesy: Qatar News Agency
WORLD CUP 2022 BUDGET SLASHED; QATAR FAILS TO QUALIFY FOR 2018
Tamim Loutfi Elabed, project manager of the construction of Lusail Stadium which will host the opening and final of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, holds the football to be used in the starting match.
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peaking to CNN, Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), said the budget for the FIFA World Cup 2022 has been reduced by 40%. But he added that this was not in response to lower oil prices, but rather, the goal was to “ensure there is financial responsibility.” He said that the SC now plans to spend about $810 billion on tournament infrastructure and most of that will go toward stadiums and training grounds. Meanwhile, Qatar crashed and burned out of the running for FIFA World Cup 2018 after a 1-0 defeat to Iran during the qualifier match in Doha. The subsequent defeat against Uzbekistan pretty much sealed the deal, making sure Qatar would not be one of the teams competing in Russia next year. The 2022 host is now at the bottom of the group.
16 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
QATAR AIRWAYS TO INVEST IN INDIA Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker announced plans to launch a 100% foreign-owned airline in India in partnership with Qatar Investment Authority.
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ccording to media reports, Qatar Airways is likely to select Bengaluru as its base and has appointed an executive search firm to recruit staff for its proposed Indian airline. A delegation was in India to review the facilities at major Indian airports. Last year, India allowed foreign investors – barring overseas airlines – to own up to a 100% stake in local carriers by liberalising FDI regulations. Currently, foreign airlines are allowed to invest only up to 49% in Indian carriers. However, the revised norms provide room for overseas airlines to partner with a foreign non-airline player to set up a 100% foreign-owned carrier in India.
MASSIVE LAYOFFS AT QF Qatar Foundation laid off some 800 employees last month on a single, brutal day. The layoffs, which are apparently due to budgetary constraints, were applied across the board to QF staff based in Qatar, including employees working in human resources, capital projects and other departments. Qatar Foundation has been shedding staff and programmes for some time.