Doha / Information Office / 9 August 2019

On 8 August 2019, the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the World Trade Organization (“WTO”) received a formal communication indicating that the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) has withdrawn its WTO dispute concerning certain alleged measures adopted by Qatar. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation released a statement confirming that the UAE formally backed down from their case. The UAE’s failure in advancing this dispute against the State of Qatar demonstrates that the  allegations made against Qatar were false and baseless.   

The UAE’s decision to withdraw its complaint so soon after initiating this dispute confirms that Qatar has, and continues to, uphold and comply with its obligations under the WTO. Evidently, the UAE had no arguments or evidence to show otherwise, as such, the UAE has formally withdrawn their complaint prior to the initiation of any adjudication by a WTO Panel.

The State of Qatar has previously asserted that the inability of UAE goods to enter the Qatari market is due solely to the trade restrictive measures imposed by the UAE, which has – in turn - led to the suffering of the UAE companies. The continued export of gas to the UAE is a clear example of how Qatar upholds and respects its international obligations.    

The State of Qatar continues to pursue its own complaint against the UAE’s unlawful measures imposed on 5 June 2017.  The UAE must withdraw its illegal trade-restrictive measures. A WTO panel is currently reviewing the claims brought by Qatar and will issue a binding report in due course.

In conclusion, Qatar will spare no efforts in pursuing its legal rights, in all international fora, to ensure the withdrawal of the UAE’s unlawful measures against the State of Qatar. The State of Qatar reiterates its commitment to comply fully with its WTO obligations and will continue to foster a stable and predictable trading environment for its economic partners around the world.