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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

Large plume of black smoke rises from the fuel storage area at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Middle East

Houthis claim attacks on Saudi capital, after flames seen near Riyadh airport

The militants say they targeted ‘sensitive’ sites, along with an Aramco facility in the Red Sea city of Yanbu.

20 Sep 2026 - 9:24AM

Cathay Pacific

Cathay retains third-best airline title, wins cabin crew and lounge awards

19 Sep 2026 - 10:19PM

Singapore

Singapore Airlines takes world’s best carrier crown from Qatar Airways

18 Sep 2026 - 9:26PM

Mainland China

Iranian and Saudi panellists spar at Xiangshan Forum over Middle East attacks

Verbal battle erupts at security conference over Tehran’s targeting of US bases in Saudi Arabia.

17 Sep 2026 - 7:48AMvideocam

Iranian representative Mohammad Taghi Osanlou attends the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Belt and Road 2026

Ancient Silk Road to modern Belt and Road: how Hong Kong bridges China and the Middle East

As the Middle East seeks economic diversification, Hong Kong acts as the financial gateway for investment.

16 Sep 2026 - 8:00AM

US, Israel war on Iran

Price of Epic Fury: Iran war’s toll on US bases, weapons and more

Pentagon inspector general offers an official accounting of the war’s costs in expended US munitions and damages.

15 Sep 2026 - 3:46PM

Transport and logistics

Qatar seeks stronger logistics ties with China amid trade disruption

Qatar logistics firm says Chinese businesses need local infrastructure and operating partners as they move into warehousing, fulfilment and sales.

14 Sep 2026 - 2:10PMvideocam

Khalifa al-Thani, co-founder and CEO of logistics solutions company WareOne, speaks during the Web Summit Qatar 2026. Photo: Sportsfile via Getty Images

US, Israel war on Iran

Middle East diplomacy stalls as war spreads, Hormuz talks postponed

New attacks in Hormuz and Saudi Arabia as planned talks between Tehran and its neighbours are put off.

14 Sep 2026 - 3:35PM

China-Middle East relations

Qatar’s PM vows to prioritise China’s energy supply amid Middle East tensions

Meeting in Beijing concludes official state visit as two sides stress importance of unimpeded maritime traffic through Strait of Hormuz.

8 Sep 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

China-Middle East relations

China vows deeper cooperation with Qatar in energy and Middle East de-escalation

Li Qiang makes pledge during meeting with Qatari prime minister visiting on official two-day state visit in Beijing on Monday.

7 Sep 2026 - 9:52PMvideocam

Chinese Premier Li Qiang met Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Beijing on Monday. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

US probes deadly strike on Iran wedding that experts link to US munition

Vice-President J.D. Vance says Washington is investigating reported attack ‘because obviously we care’.

4 Sep 2026 - 2:31PM

The point of impact on a residence in Kuhestak, southern Iran, where the wedding celebration was taking place. Photo: Tasnim News Agency via AP

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

Iran targets American interests in Gulf states after US forces attack Iranian air defence sites, radar systems and maritime assets.

2 Sep 2026 - 4:56PM

Iran

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

Iranian-born and Washington-based expert analyses Tehran’s leverage, China’s non-intervention strategy and shifting Persian Gulf alliances.

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

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Qatar

Houthis claim attacks on Saudi capital, after flames seen near Riyadh airport

The militants say they targeted ‘sensitive’ sites, along with an Aramco facility in the Red Sea city of Yanbu.

Cathay retains third-best airline title, wins cabin crew and lounge awards

Singapore Airlines takes world’s best carrier crown from Qatar Airways

Iranian and Saudi panellists spar at Xiangshan Forum over Middle East attacks

Verbal battle erupts at security conference over Tehran’s targeting of US bases in Saudi Arabia.

Ancient Silk Road to modern Belt and Road: how Hong Kong bridges China and the Middle East

As the Middle East seeks economic diversification, Hong Kong acts as the financial gateway for investment.

Price of Epic Fury: Iran war’s toll on US bases, weapons and more

Pentagon inspector general offers an official accounting of the war’s costs in expended US munitions and damages.

Qatar seeks stronger logistics ties with China amid trade disruption

Qatar logistics firm says Chinese businesses need local infrastructure and operating partners as they move into warehousing, fulfilment and sales.

Middle East diplomacy stalls as war spreads, Hormuz talks postponed

New attacks in Hormuz and Saudi Arabia as planned talks between Tehran and its neighbours are put off.

Qatar’s PM vows to prioritise China’s energy supply amid Middle East tensions

Meeting in Beijing concludes official state visit as two sides stress importance of unimpeded maritime traffic through Strait of Hormuz.

China vows deeper cooperation with Qatar in energy and Middle East de-escalation

Li Qiang makes pledge during meeting with Qatari prime minister visiting on official two-day state visit in Beijing on Monday.

US probes deadly strike on Iran wedding that experts link to US munition

Vice-President J.D. Vance says Washington is investigating reported attack ‘because obviously we care’.

.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

Iran targets American interests in Gulf states after US forces attack Iranian air defence sites, radar systems and maritime assets.

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

Iranian-born and Washington-based expert analyses Tehran’s leverage, China’s non-intervention strategy and shifting Persian Gulf alliances.

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.

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

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