Jordan–Qatar relations

Jordan – Qatar relations are the bilateral relations between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the State of Qatar. Diplomatic relations were established in 1972. Jordan has an embassy in Doha.[1] Qatar also has an embassy in Amman.[2]

Jordan – Qatar relations

Jordan
Qatar

Diplomatic visits

Jordanian Prime Minister Faisal Al-Fayez visited Qatar in January 2004. During his visit, a number of economic and trade agreements were signed, including an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation. In March 2004, Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani visited Amman.[3]

Political cooperation

Early cooperation

Although formal diplomatic relations date back to 1972, Qatari and Jordanian officials started cooperating a year earlier. When Qatar gained its independence in September 1971, it flew in Jordanian specialists to assist the new country in planning out its educational, military and economic sectors.[4] In 1972, Qatar opened its embassy in Amman and its first ambassador to Jordan presented his credentials.[5]

Detainment of Qatar Airways flight

Qatar had turbulent relations with Jordan in the early 2000s. In August 1999, Jordan banned the militant Palestinian Islamist group, Hamas.[6] The then Hamas spokesperson in Jordan, Ibrahim Ghosheh was arrested and deported to Qatar in November 1999, along with several other Hamas members, where he lived freely. Jordan and Qatar became involved in a dispute over the matter. It was claimed by Qatar that it had temporarily agreed to host Ghosheh, along with 4 other imprisoned Hamas members, while it negotiated a settlement between the two parties.[7]

On 14 June 2001, Ghosheh unexpectedly returned to Jordan on a Qatar Airways flight. Jordanian authorities grounded the flight he was on at Queen Alia International Airport. A standoff ensued, with the Qatari pilot refusing to leave with Ghosheh on the plane, and the Jordanian authorities refusing to release the flight without Ghosheh being present on the plane.[8] One day into the standoff, Royal Jordanian Airlines froze all flights to Qatar. Two weeks into the stand-off, on 28 June, an agreement was reached between Jordan and Ghosheh in which Ghosheh would be flown to Bangkok and be allowed to return to Jordan if he "froze" his links to Hamas.[6] Flights between the two countries were resumed on 30 June.[9] On 16 July 2001, Qatar Airways announced it would be suing the Jordanian government for $2.2 million.[10]

Imprisonment of Firas Majali

Authorities in Qatar arrested and tried a Jordanian journalist working for Qatar TV, Firas Majali, on charges of espionage in February 2002.[11] A Qatari court ruled that Firas Majali be sentenced to death in October 2002, and maintained that ruling in February 2003.[12] A month later in March, the Qatari emir granted Majali a pardon after meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan.[13]

2002 closure of Al Jazeera

In August 2002, a segment broadcast by Al Jazeera was seen as being insulting to Jordan's ruling family, and in response, one day later Jordan closed Al Jazeera's bureau in the country and withdrew the accreditation of its journalists.[11] Jordan also recalled its ambassador to Doha the same month.[12] In 2003, Jordan reinstated Al Jazeera's Amman bureau.[3]

2006 United Nations elections

In response to Qatar's backing of Ban Ki-Moon instead of Jordan's candidate Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad as the Secretary-General of the United Nations in the 2006 election, Jordan decided to withdraw its ambassador from Qatar. Although Qatar expressed its bewilderment of the situation, Jordan retaliated by claiming that all Arab League members had earlier agreed to support Jordan's candidate. Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani accused Jordan of launching a media campaign to defame Qatar because of this incident.[14]

Qatar diplomatic crisis
Main article: Qatar diplomatic crisis

On June 6, 2017, one day after the beginning of the 2017 Qatari diplomatic crisis, Jordan announced that it would be cutting back ties with Qatar in solidarity with the blockading countries as well as shuttering the Al Jazeera bureau based there.[15] After the decision was taken, Jordan came under pressure from its parliament to restore diplomatic relations at a normal level and to remain neutral in the conflict.[16]

Economic relations

In an attempt to promote direct investment by Qatar's government, Jordan set up a trade office in Doha in 2006.[17] With Qatar's investments being valued at $2 billion in early 2018, it was the third-highest foreign investor in Jordan. These investments were mainly centered in Jordan's real estate and financial industries.[16]

Trade turnover between the two countries was valued at $400 million in 2017. Qatar's main exports are chemicals and pharmaceutical products, while Jordan's chief exports are livestock, fruit and meat.[18]

The economic ties between both the countries flourished in 2018 and 2019. The commercial exchange volume between Qatar and Jordan grew by 18% in 2018 to 1.3 billion Qatari riyals, compared with 1.1 billion Qatari riyals in 2017. By the end of the first nine months of 2019, 175 new Jordanian companies had established partnerships and alliances with Qatari firms.[19][20]

Educational relations

Qatar's Supreme Education Council and Jordan's Ministry of Education collaborate with each other by jointly participating in conferences, seminars and competitions. Furthermore, exceptional Jordanian students are granted scholarships to attend Qatar University.[21]

The Jordanian School, located in the Ain Khaled area of Qatar's Al Rayyan, follows the Jordanian curriculum and caters to students from KG to 11th grade. In 12th grade, students attend a public school in order to attain a Qatari secondary school certificate.[21]

Migration

There are roughly 40,000 Jordanian citizens living in Qatar as of 2014.[22]

References
  1. "Jordanian Embassy in Doha, Qatar". embassypages.com. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  2. "Qatari Embassy in Amman, Jordan". embassypages.com. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  3. "Qatar's Amir to visit Jordan". Al Jazeera. 10 March 2004. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  4. "العلاقات الثنائية الأردنية-القطرية" (in Arabic). Jordanian Embassy in Doha. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  5. "Qatar- Jordan Relations". Qatari Embassy in Amman. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  6. The Jordan-Hamas Divorce
  7. "كيف يتعامل القطريون مع قضية المبعدين الأربعة؟". daharchives.alhayat.com (in Arabic). 2001. Archived from the original on 30 April 2018.
  8. Caroline Hawley (17 June 2001). "Hamas leader stranded at Amman airport". BBC. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  9. "Jordan, Qatar resume commercial air links". Al Bawaba. 4 July 2001. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  10. "Qatar Airways to sue Jordan". BBC. 16 July 2001. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  11. "Reporters Without Borders asks for pardon for a Jordanian journalist sentenced to death". Reporters Without Borders. 22 February 2003. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  12. "Qatar upholds death sentence for Jordan reporter". ABC. 24 February 2003. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  13. "Qatar Pardons Jordanian Journalist". Editor & Publisher. 13 March 2003. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  14. "Jordan recalls ambassador to Qatar". Al Jazeera. 3 October 2006. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  15. "Jordan downgrades ties with Qatar". Al Jazeera. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  16. "Jordan-Qatar trade: Economics trump politics". Al Jazeera. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  17. "المكتب التمثيلى لمؤسسه تشجيع الاستثمار" (in Arabic). Jordanian Embassy in Doha. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  18. "Qatar-Jordan trade volume to see sharp jump". The Peninsula. 12 March 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  19. "Qatar Chamber, Amman delegation explore furthering bilateral trade". The Jordan Times. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  20. "175 Jordanian companies set up in Qatar during first nine months of 2019". The Peninsula. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  21. "المستشار الثقافى" (in Arabic). Jordanian Embassy in Doha. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  22. "Around 40,000 Jordanians reside in Qatar". Jordan Times. 13 September 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
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