MILAN | ITALY – Qatar has signed an agreement with drugmaker Moderna Inc to buy its potential COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is approved and released for global use, state news agency QNA quoted a health official as saying on Sunday.
There are no internationally approved vaccines yet, but several are in advanced trials, including from Pfizer Inc, Johnosn & Johnson and Moderna.
‘Negotiating early and securing a number of agreements enhances our chances of getting sufficient quantities of the vaccine early’, said Abdullatif al-Khal, chair of a national COVID-19 health group and head of infectious diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation.
He did not say how many doses Doha was requesting. Earlier this month, al-Khal said Qatar signed an agreement with Phizer and BioNTech to supply Qatar with their vaccines.
Moderna said last month it was on track to produce 20 million doses of its vaccine by the end of the year, while maintaining its goal of readying 500 million to 1 billion doses in 2021.
The American group is also working with Swiss group Lonza AG to scale up the manufacturing and production of its potential COVID-19 vaccine to supply markets outside the United States.
Sovereign Fund PIF Considers Saudi Telecom Stake Sale, Sources Say
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is considering divesting part of its stake in Saudi Telecom, sources close to the matter told Reuters, as the sovereign wealth fund seeks to monetise some of its assets. The fund, which holds $430 billion of assets, has hired Goldman Sachs and Saudi National Bank’s investment banking arm to … More Sovereign Fund PIF Considers Saudi Telecom Stake Sale, Sources Say
Saudi Arabian, Austrian FMs Hold Joint Press Conference In Vienna
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Frhan on Tuesday said the Kingdom has a common vision with Austria regarding the stability of the region in a joint press conference with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberf in Vienna. Schallenberg said Saudi Arabia is his country’s largest partner in the Middle East. ‘Saudi Arabia plays a … More Saudi Arabian, Austrian FMs Hold Joint Press Conference In Vienna
Saudi Crown Prince Inaugurates $1Bn Housing And Medical Projects For Ministry Of Defense Employees
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman inaugurated eight housing projects as well as medical treatment for employees of the Ministry of Defense, the state news agency SPA reported on Sunday. The initiative is part of new development projects implemented and recently completed by the ministry at a cost of more than SR 4 billion … More Saudi Crown Prince Inaugurates $1Bn Housing And Medical Projects For Ministry Of Defense Employees
Qatar Says Only Vaccinated Fans Allowed At World Cup 2022
Qatar will only allow people fully vaccinated against COVID – 19 to attend next year’s World Cup and is in talks to secure one million doses in case global immunisation efforts lag, the prime minister said. The Gulf Arab states hosts the four – week tournament in November 2022 and the president of global soccer … More Qatar Says Only Vaccinated Fans Allowed At World Cup 2022
Qatar Receives New Saudi Ambassador As The Two Mend Relations
Qatar’s foreign minister on Monday received the new Saudi Ambassador to Doha, the first to be reinstated by Arab states after they agreed to end a dispute with Qatar earlier this year, state news agency QNA said. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain resolved in January to lift the boycott imposed in … More Qatar Receives New Saudi Ambassador As The Two Mend Relations
MIDEAST STOCKS Saudi Bourse Underperforms Major Gulf Markets, Qatar Gains
Most major stocks markets in the Gulf ended lower on Sunday, with the Saudi index leading the losses, although Qatar bucked the trend to close higher. The benchmark index (.TASI) in Saudi Arabia, fell 0.6% with Al Rajhi Bank and petrochemical firm Saudi Basic Industries dropping 1.8% each. The kingdom’s April crude oil exports fell … More MIDEAST STOCKS Saudi Bourse Underperforms Major Gulf Markets, Qatar Gains
Biden, Putin Discuss Ambassadors, Nuclear Weapons And More
Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin of Russia spent more than three hours discussing issues Wednesday at their Summit in Geneva. They ticked through their respective lists so quickly and in such ‘excruciating detail’, Biden says, that they looked at each other and thought. ‘OK, what nexy?’ The most pressing issues the leaders discussed: AMBASSADORS … More Biden, Putin Discuss Ambassadors, Nuclear Weapons And More
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Meets US Climate Envoy
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry in Riyadh on Wednesday, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The two sides reviewed international efforts exported to comfront climate change initiatives, which tackle reducing emission and preserving the environment, namely the ‘Saudi Arabia Green Initiative’ … More Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Meets US Climate Envoy
Saudi Arabia Approves Creation Of Sports Academy
Saudi Arabia’s government on Tuesday approved the creation of a sports academy designed to discover and develop talented youth. The Mahd Sports Academy is expected to become one of the largest in the world over the next decade aims to create a new golden generation of Saudi sportspeople. The academy, which was launched in July … More Saudi Arabia Approves Creation Of Sports Academy
UAE Foreign Minister Speaks With Israeli Counterpart – Tweet
The United Arab Emirates’ foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed, discussed on a phone call with his Israeli counterpart ‘the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, in addition to the Abraham Accords’, the minister’s office wrote in a tweet on Monday. Bin Zayed congratulated the Israeli foreign minister, Yair Lapid, on his new position and … More UAE Foreign Minister Speaks With Israeli Counterpart – Tweet
Bahrain’s Crown Prince Congratulates New Israeli PM Bennett – BNA
Bahrain’s crown prince sent a congratulatory telepgraph to new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in which he expressed his sincere wishes to the former government for success in its tasks ‘in a way that strengthen the pillars of development, stability, and peace in the region and the world’, Bahrain state news agency (BNA) said on … More Bahrain’s Crown Prince Congratulates New Israeli PM Bennett – BNA
Saudi First Quarter GDP Shrinks 3%, Hit By Oil Sector Decline
Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product fell 3% in the first quarter, slightly less than official estimates and compared with a 1% contraction last year, as a sharp fall in the oil sector pulled back the economy, data showed. The kingdom’s economy has been hit hard by the twin shock of last year’s historic oil price … More Saudi First Quarter GDP Shrinks 3%, Hit By Oil Sector Decline
Saudi Shopping Malls Opens Only To Vaccinated People From August – State TV
Saudi Arabia will bar people from entering its shopping malls unless they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, state TV reported on Sunday, citing a decision by the trade ministry that will come into effect on Aug.1. ‘Having received at least one vaccine shot will be a condition for entering commercial facilities’, the ministry said. Suadi … More Saudi Shopping Malls Opens Only To Vaccinated People From August – State TV
Saudi Arabia’s Dur And Taiba In Merger Talks
Saudi Arabia’s Dur Hospitality Co and Taiba Invest Co are in merger talks that could create a company with combined assets worth $2.4 billion actoss the kingdom’s hotel, tourism and real estate sectors. Dur and Taiba announced the merger talks in similar bourse statements on Sunday, adding that an agreement may not be reached between … More Saudi Arabia’s Dur And Taiba In Merger Talks
English FA Implore Fans Not To Boo Players Who ‘Take A Knee’
The Football Association hasve issued a statement asking England fans to respect the right of prayers to ‘take a knee’ as a protest against racial injustice, and not boo them befofre matches at the European Championship. England players were booed by some fans before two recent friendlies when they knelt – a protest borrowed from … More English FA Implore Fans Not To Boo Players Who ‘Take A Knee’
Saudi Arabia Bars Foreign Travellers From Haj Over COVID – 19
Saudi Arabia has restricted the annual Haj pilgrimage to its own citizens and residents for the second year running in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the state Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Saturday. Only people aged between 18 and 65 who have been vaccinated or immunised against the virus, and are free of chronic … More Saudi Arabia Bars Foreign Travellers From Haj Over COVID – 19
