International Business Opportunities

Qatar has banned the import of dangerous children’s toys to the country, effective from April 1. The banned items are those that do not meet the general safety standards issued by the Qatar General Authority for Standards and Metrology regarding children’s toys. Four categories of toys have been banned - those containing toxic chemicals, toy guns using sharp plastic bullets, toys powered by high voltage electricity and those that contravene common ethical standards.

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Opec ministers meeting on Sunday will discuss full compliance with existing cuts before they consider further output curbs, Qatari Oil Minister Abdullah Al Attiyah said on Saturday.
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Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has opened a service centre at Landmark Mall. The centre is a one-stop shop offering a range of consumer landline, mobile, broadband and entertainment services. Spread over more than 1,000 square metres, Landmark’s Qtel service centre offers a range of services including high-speed Internet access, Mozaic TV+ services, and a wide range of mobile communications offerings.

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Steel prices in the UAE, which had surged by at least 90% in the first half of this year, have plunged 35-40% in the past few months on surplus stocks and panic selling by traders, reported Khaleej Times. Trade sources said the price of Turkish and Qatar steel have dropped from Dhs6,000 per tonne to Dhs3500.
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A EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit will beginon Tuesday May 8, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The summit could lead to a free trade deal between EU and the GCC - which includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrein, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Omand and Qatar.

The two blocs had started to negotiate a free trade agreement in 2002, however they failed to agree on a commons set of rules regarding investments and market access.