1. Home
  2. UAE seeks ICJ's help to mount pressure on Qatar

UAE seeks ICJ's help to mount pressure on Qatar

Agencies
May 11, 2019

Abu Dhabi, May 11: UAE has told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that the documents and arguments presented to the Court by Qatar against the UAE were either fabricated or outright counterfactual. The UAE requested the World Court to take punitive steps necessary to stop Qatar from its cynical attempts to manipulate the international forums for settling scores with its neighbours.

The submission made by the UAE at the conclusive session of the three-day ICJ hearing stressed that the Qataris whose rights to enter the UAE were allegedly violated had never used the hotline set up for the purpose in June 2017 or apply for entry permits. The UAE pointed out that similar fabrication of names and documents by Qatar happened in the case with Bahrain as well. The hearing on Thursday, May 9 took place to consider the UAE's request for interim action for protecting its sovereign rights and adjudicating its complaints against Qatar.

The UAE Ambassador to the Netherlands Dr Hessa Al Otaiba said in her conclusive remarks that the submission presented to the Court by the UAE's legal team showed beyond any shadow of doubt that the UAE had never indulged in racial discrimination as alleged by Qatar. She added that Qatar was continuously escalating the conflict and making resolution of the crisis even harder.

The UAE pointed out that Qatar was actually misusing the Agreement for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination with a view to defaming the UAE by lodging two separate cases on the same issue. The documents submitted by the UAE also confirmed that Qatar had used its vast media network to spread lies and falsehoods against the UAE about the issues brought to the Court's attention.

The UAE also disproved the allegation that it had expelled Qatari citizens from the country. Interestingly, Qatar admitted before the Court that it had blocked on grounds of security the website through which its citizens could apply for entry permits. This, the UAE asserted, was a ploy to cook up evidence against the UAE and claim it was defying the Court's decision.

Pointing out that the Court had taken some interim action while it considered the Qatari pleas, the UAE Ambassador said that the UAE expected the same from the Court in respect to the UAE's pleas.

"All that we are asking is for the Court to protect the UAE's rights on an equal footing. We request the Court to order Qatar to unblock our website for Qataris to apply for entry permits. Blocking the website is a typical Qatari ploy to prevent us from facilitating the visit of their citizens to the UAE and to create the impression that we were discriminating against them," she explained.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 20,2020

Cairo, May 20: A senior Kuwaiti lawmaker has called for imposing a tax on expatriates’ remittances to shore up the country’s finances.

MP Khalil Al Saleh, the head of the parliament’s Human Resources Committee, has presented a draft law on the proposed tax to the legislature.

“Imposing fees on expatriates’ transfers will have a role in improving the state's revenues and diversify sources of income,” he told Al Rai newspaper.

Migrant workers transfer about 4.2 billion dinars annually from Kuwait, he added, citing figures from Kuwait’s Central Bank.

“This system is in effect in most countries of the world and in more than one Gulf country. Expats there have not objected to it. Allowing this money to exit the country is very dangerous and has a direct effect on economy,” MP Al Saleh said.

“We do not target brotherly expats because imposing symbolic fees on financial transfers will not affect their money, but will have a positive effect on the state’s sources,” he said. “This has become a necessity after the money transferred outside Kuwait has reached 4.2 billion dinars annually without the state [Kuwait] making any benefit from this.”

Foreign workers make up 3.3 million of Kuwait’s 4.6 million population.

Several Kuwaiti public figures have recently pushed for redrawing the demographic imbalance in the country, accusing expatriates of straining health facilities and increasing the Covid-19 threat.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 6,2020

A massive fire engulfed a residential tower in UAE's Sharjah last night. The building has been identified as one Abbco Tower in Al Nahda.

According to the latest inputs, Sharjah Civil Defence teams rushed to the spot and evacuated all residents. 

Firefighters managed to douse the blaze after several hours. The building in question is reportedly a 48-storey structure. Officials are yet to reveal the cause of the fire.

All residents of the building were evacuated while seven incurred minor injuries during the evacuation and were treated at local hospitals, reported the United Arab Emirates' local media.

More details are awaited as this is a developing story.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
March 25,2020

Riyadh, Mar 25: A 46-year-old man died of coronavirus in Saudi Arabia, becoming the Kingdom’s second death, according to a health ministry’s spokesman.

The health ministry recorded 133 new infections, bringing the total to 900.

Of those newly confirmed cases, 18 are associated with recent travel, and were placed in quarantine upon their arrival in the Kingdom, the spokesman said.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.