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The development of childhood and the enhancement of children’s rights form a guiding framework towards creating a better world now and in the future.By listening to children we can fulfil their right to self-expression, understand their ideas for a better world and include their priorities in our actions today.This year, the world and its international institutions are celebrating World Children’s Day under the theme “Listen to the future. Stand Up for Children’s Rights.” World Children’s Day offers everyone an inspirational entry-point to advocate, promote and celebrate children’s rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for children.World Children’s Day was first established in 1954 as Universal Children’s Day and is celebrated on November 20 each year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare.November 20 is an important date as it is the date when the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. It is also the date in 1989 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.The UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) is one of the leading international organisations active in the field of children’s rights, their development, and protection. Unicef works in over 190 countries and territories, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children living amid social challenges and armed conflicts. Unicef became a permanent part of the UN system in 1953 and has launched global campaigns focusing especially on health and education.Unicef draws attention to poverty as a primary concern, which affects children disproportionately around the world. One in every six children globally lives in extreme poverty, earning less than $1.90 per day, and their families struggle to meet basic healthcare costs and the nutrition necessary for a strong start in life. In 2019, 149mn children under the age of five suffered from stunting due to malnutrition.Despite significant progress in school enrolment rates in many parts of the world, more than 175mn children are not enrolled in pre-primary education, missing a critical investment opportunity and suffering deep inequalities from the start, missing a critical investment opportunity and suffering deep inequalities from the start. Unicef statistics show that 6 out of 10 children leave primary school without achieving the minimum levels of literacy, writing, or mathematics. This challenge is exacerbated in areas affected by prolonged armed conflicts.For over 20 years, Unicef has been working to garner support against the recruitment of children in armed conflicts. Since then, thousands of children have been released due to action plans decided by the UN Security Council and other measures aimed at ending and preventing the exploitation of children by armed forces and groups. However, serious challenges remain in protecting children affected by armed conflict.In 2019, 1.6bn children, or about 69%, lived in conflict-affected countries. About 426mn children live in conflict zones. These children face numerous risks, including displacement, separation from their families, forced recruitment, or becoming victims of organised gangs in some fragile states.In this context, violence against children represents one of the most significant developmental challenges, as it is a major barrier to achieving basic cultural and educational requirements. This includes the growing issue of bullying via the internet, leading to isolation, loneliness, and fear, particularly among younger children who are more vulnerable because they are less able to speak out and seek support.Qatar’s government and its institutions place great emphasis on enhancing and protecting children’s rights. This is clearly demonstrated through the establishment of numerous legal frameworks, as well as the adoption of administrative and practical measures in various fields at the national, regional, and international levels. This is in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and its commitments to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Qatar acceded in 1992 and ratified in 1995.Qatar has created appropriate mechanisms to protect children’s rights, such as the Protection and Social Rehabilitation Centre (Aman), under the umbrella of Qatar Foundation for Social Work. This centre aims to raise awareness of child protection and build institutional capacities in this area. Additionally, Qatar supports efforts to enhance and protect children’s rights in education through numerous governmental initiatives and initiatives by civil society institutions, providing quality education opportunities for both Qatari citizens and residents.Qatar has established one of the world’s most advanced educational systems, which received a government expenditure of nearly 3.3% of the country’s GDP in 2019 — one of the highest public expending rates in the Middle East and North Africa, according to the Word Bank. Nearly QR19.2bn ($5.3bn) was allocated to the education sector from the budget, representing about 9.3% of total expenditures allocated to the education sector and child care institutions.Regarding the enhancement of the protection of children, Qatar has not overlooked the role of technological development and the opportunities it provides in the digital field for education and enhancing the protection of children’s rights. In this field, the Qatar Social Work Foundation launched in 2018 the ‘Help Me’ app, as the first e-service for children that enables them to request help via mobile phone in case they are harmed.At the level of regional and international cooperation, the State of Qatar implemented international and regional initiatives aimed at providing quality education to millions of children who have been deprived due to poverty, armed conflicts, insecurity, and disasters. Among these initiatives, for example, are the “Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict” programme — a founding member of the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), and the Educate A Child (EAC) programme — an unprecedented initiative that enrolled 10mn children in schooling through implementing over 65 projects in 50 countries, in partnership with 82 global partners.The State of Qatar is proud of its close partnership with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and hosting and financially supporting its Doha-based Analysis and Outreach Hub for the years 2018-2023. Qatar is also proud of its partnership with Unicef to implement many projects and programmes, which contributed to saving the lives of children, defending their rights and helping them achieve their potential, including the opening of the Unesco Regional Office as part of the UN House in Doha in March 2022.The 10-year partnership between Unicef and Qatar’s Education Above All (EAA) Foundation has achieveda major transformation in the lives of over 5mn children and young people in 17 countries, through their joint programs, which were reflected in “A Decade of Dreams” exhibition, held in partnership with Unicef in New York on Sept 13, 2023, to mark 10 years of effective and fruitful cooperation to change the lives of millions of children around the world.

Healthy soil is indispensable to life on Earth, sustaining nearly 60% of all living species. As the second-largest carbon reservoir after oceans, soil is also among our planet’s most important natural assets in the fight against climate change.But the world’s soils are under immense strain. Droughts are increasingly turning fertile land into deserts, while pesticide use drastically reduces soil biodiversity, threatening our ability to produce healthy food. As high-quality agricultural land becomes scarcer, conflicts over shrinking topsoil – critical for crop growth – are intensifying.The Heinrich Böll Foundation’s recent Soil Atlas highlights the many ways we are losing the ground beneath our feet. The current industrial agriculture system has been a major driver of soil degradation, accelerating biodiversity loss and depleting vital carbon reserves. Yet despite its impact, the agriculture sector has made little progress in advancing climate goals. Its global greenhouse-gas emissions have remained largely unchanged over the past decade.As countries worldwide set new emissions-reduction targets under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, it is clear that achieving real emissions cuts will require developing strategies to reduce the agriculture sector’s carbon footprint.One approach touted as a potential solution is “carbon farming,” which uses market incentives to reward farmers for storing carbon in their soil. By adopting practices like planting cover crops, farmers can earn certificates for increasing carbon storage. These certificates can then be sold as carbon credits in voluntary or government-mandated markets, providing farmers with an additional income stream.This concept has gained traction in both public-policy circles and the private sector. Fertiliser and pesticide companies like Yara and Bayer have already rolled out their own certification programmes, while major agriculture producers such as Canada and Australia have integrated these credits into their markets. The European Union is also developing a certification program for carbon farming, and global carbon markets are expected to follow suit.Unfortunately, the newfound popularity of carbon farming risks perpetuating the false notion that emissions reductions and soil carbon storage are interchangeable. Even if we accept this premise, developing a system to offset emissions through carbon storage is extremely difficult. For such a system to be effective, storage must originate from a change in farm practices and be measurable and secure for at least a century.But given that carbon stored in soils is inherently unstable and can easily be re-released into the atmosphere by droughts, floods, or shifts in farming practices, long-term storage remains highly unreliable.Previous attempts to address this instability in other natural reserves have been unsuccessful. For example, reserve credits set aside to offset unintended carbon releases from forests in California are being depleted faster than anticipated after the intense wildfires there. And there has been little interest in credits with expiration dates, which would require buyers to renew them periodically.While it is possible to measure the carbon stored in soil, doing so is neither simple nor cheap. The accuracy of these measurements depends on several factors, including sampling depth, location, and timeframe. Alternative methods, based on limited sampling or mathematical models, have failed to overcome measurement challenges.Since prices for soil-carbon credits have been too low to cover the costs of changing agricultural practices, farmers are unlikely to embrace them. In response, European regulators have opted to make credit generation easier, rather than adjusting price incentives, thus compromising the system’s integrity.Beyond methodological challenges, carbon farming can serve as a smokescreen for the livestock industry. Industry groups claim that carbon storage in grasslands can offset methane and nitrous-oxide emissions. But this scenario is unrealistic, given that it would require vast amounts of grassland. It is well established that the most effective way to reduce livestock emissions is to cut livestock numbers and consumption of meat and dairy.The carbon-market approach views maintaining soil health and reducing emissions as an either/or choice. In reality, both are necessary, as healthy soil is essential for food production. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that sequestering carbon in soils – or anywhere else – cannot replace emissions reductions. Targeting emissions reductions, rather than relying solely on soil credits, could have the additional benefit of weakening the appeal of controversial technologies that aim to remove carbon from the atmosphere.Simply put, a market-based approach to carbon storage cannot deliver the transformative change we need. We cannot offset our way out of the climate crisis. Instead, we should redirect public funds currently spent on agricultural subsidies to investments that improve soil health and support farmers as they undertake the transition to a climate-resilient food system. – Project SyndicateSophie Scherger is Policy Officer for Climate and Agriculture at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy’s European office.

The General Directorate of Industrial Security celebrated the graduation of the 8th course on ‘Industrial Security: Concepts and Applications’ for officers from GCC countries on Thursday.The course, held at the Officers’ Club of the General Directorate of Civil Defence from November 10, saw the participation of 19 officers, according to post on X by the Ministry of Interior. The graduation ceremony was attended by Colonel Rashid Mohammed al-Hajri, assistant director-general of Industrial Security.The course was aimed at familiarising participants with the general concept of industrial security, the security functions carried out by its personnel, and its role within the broader security framework, the X post added.

Vladimir Putin’s hypersonic missile carried a simple message to the West over Ukraine: back off, and if you don’t, Russia reserves the right to hit US and British military facilities.Russia fired a new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile known as “Oreshnik”, or Hazel Tree, at Ukraine on Thursday in what Putin said was a direct response to strikes on Russia by Ukrainian forces with US and British missiles.In a special statement from the Kremlin, the Russian president said the war was escalating towards a global conflict, though he avoided any nuclear rhetoric.Putin has also refrained, so far, from actually striking the West, a step that could lead to a direct confrontation between Russia and the Nato alliance — and a confrontation that US President Joe Biden said in March 2022 would be World War III.In his statement, the Kremlin chief gave the West notice that Russia reserved the right to strike at the military installations of countries that let Ukraine use their missiles to hit Russia — so far only the US and Britain.“Putin is saying to the West stop — halt — back off,” Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser, told Reuters.“The signal Putin is sending to the world is that we consider these strikes as the direct entry of the US and Britain into a war against Russia,” he said. “But we are not responding with all our might right now because these strikes against Russia will not change the outcome of the war.” A Russian said Putin had hinted that he wanted to steer clear of escalation, though the odds of Russia using nuclear weapons remained pretty high.The source did not clarify whether he was talking about tactical battlefield weapons or long-range nuclear missiles.President Biden dropped his opposition to Ukraine firing US missiles at targets deep inside Russia in response to North Korea’s entry to the war, a shift in US policy that took on added urgency following Donald Trump’s Nov 5 election win, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.The decision could help to “Trump-proof” parts of Biden’s Ukraine agenda by strengthening Kyiv’s position in case it loses US support, one of the sources said.Russian officials cast the move by Biden as a reckless decision by a lame-duck outgoing administration aimed at creating a serious crisis for Trump to resolve when he is inaugurated as president in January.That puts Putin in a difficult position: if he escalates now, he could stoke just such a crisis. But if he doesn’t, then the West could interpret him as weak and keep pushing through clear Russian red lines.When Putin warned in September that Russia would update its nuclear doctrine to allow potentially a nuclear response to the use of conventional Western missiles to strike Russia, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said it was not the first time he had “rattled the nuclear sabre”.The day Ukraine fired US-made ATACMS missiles deep into Russian territory, Putin approved the lowering of the nuclear threshold flagged two months earlier.After Putin lowered the threshold, the Pentagon said that the US had not changed its nuclear posture — or observed a change in Russia’s nuclear posture.The Pentagon and Britain’s Ministry of Defence did not immediately respond to questions about whether they had changed any security postures in response to Putin’s threat to attack their military installations.When asked what the main message of Putin’s statement was, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday that the key thing was that Russia will react to “reckless actions” from Western countries which take part in strikes on Russia.“The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities, and the contours of further retaliatory actions in case our concerns are not taken into account are clearly outlined,” he said.

Air strikes hit south Beirut Friday, crumpling an 11-storey building, as Israel kept up its deadly bombardment in south Lebanon.The Lebanese health ministry said Israeli strikes killed five Hezbollah-affiliated paramedics.The state-run National News Agency (NNA) said Israeli warplanes carried out successive rounds of strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs from early morning until evening, including on two buildings closer to the city centre.AFPTV footage showed plumes of smoke over the southern suburbs.NNA said Israeli strikes also hit multiple targets in south Lebanon.An AFP photographer captured the moment a missile struck an 11-storey building housing shops, a gym and apartments on a usually busy street in south Beirut's Shiyah district.The impact sparked a fireball and caused the structure to collapse in on itself, littering the street with debris.In south Lebanon, NNA said Israeli troops entered the village of Deir Mimas, around 2.5km from the border, for the first time."Enemy reconnaissance aircraft" were flying over the village, warning people "not to leave their homes", it said. Most of the village's population had already fled.Hezbollah said its fighters targeted Israeli soldiers around Deir Mimas with rockets and artillery.

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) has partnered with Umm Salal SC to roll out an initiative fostering a sustainable ecosystem in Qatar. Eyeing further garden protection across the country in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, the co-operation initiative was sealed by the MoECC's Assistant Undersecretary for Protection and Natural Reserves Affairs Dr Ibrahim Abdul Latif al- Maslamani and HE Umm Salal SC Vice-President Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. HE Minister of Environment and Climate Change Dr Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie and HE Umm Salal SC President Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman al-Thani attended the signing. Reflecting both sides' adherence to further joint efforts to promote sustainability, the move envisions strategic objectives including garden fencing to avert encroachment, native flora planting to battle desertification along with societal awareness-raising and volunteering campaigns. Dr al-Maslamani said the move would consolidate national garden protection efforts, highlighting the MoECC's initiatives to preserve the environment and protect biodiversity. He added the MoECC would provide all needed facilities to support the initiative, including technical expertise and awareness-raising programs. Meanwhile, HE Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani hailed co-operation with the MoECC as part of the Qatari club's social responsibility and active involvement in national environment protection efforts. Highlighting the close connection between sports and ecology, he stressed the need for athletes to cope with the environment conservation, and avoid sustainability-harming practices.

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has awarded three projects worth QR140mn to connect thousands of households to the sewage network during 2024-2027. In a video, posted by Ashghal on X, the Drainage Networks Projects Department director engineer Khalid Saif al-Khayareen said these projects will cater to households in the southern, central and northern parts of Qatar.During 2022-2023 projects worth QR120mn were implemented to connect houses and other buildings to the sewage network. The official explained about 2,000 connections to the sewage network are implemented annually.The House Connections Section at Ashghal continues to connect citizens’ subdivisions to the sewage network and upgrade existing connections in various areas of Qatar. Engineer Ali al-Anzi, head of the House Connections Section, explained the services have been simplified. Individuals, companies, and government entities may submit a request to connect their properties or facilities to the Foul Sewer Network. The application can be submitted through the Ashghal website.The connection allows wastewater to be removed from the property and treated at an Ashghal Sewage Treatment Plant, according to information from the Ashghal website.

The Qatar National Library (QNL) explored strategies to support language development and encourage a passion for books among children in the latest edition of the “Our Children Matter” Forum, a series dedicated to childhood education and health.Titled “Reading Challenges – Insights and Strategies to Effectively Support Language Development”, the session brought together parents, educators, school librarians, and teachers along with mental health experts and consultants to discuss the most effective tools to foster a love of reading in children, help young people overcome challenges they may have in their personal, social, and family lives, and support them in overcoming difficulties they may have with reading.Psychology and education consultant Dr Mustafa Abu Saad was joined by developmental paediatric consultant Dr Hadeel Yassin Faras and Dr Khalid al-Naama, director of Family Research and Policies at the Doha International Family Institute.Maram al-Mahmoud, manager of the QNL’s Children’s & Young Adults’ Library, said that the event, like many other initiatives by the library, equipped various stakeholders with the knowledge and tools to empower children and young people, thus contributing to its mission to promote lifelong learning.“Reading is one of the most important skills that a child can learn, impacting language development and attainment in subjects across school curricula, from sciences to the humanities,” she said. “It can also, of course, be hugely enjoyable – a love of books opens new worlds to children, firing their imaginations, offering inspiration and developing their ambitions.”“That is why today’s event was so important,” al-Mahmoud continued. “In a world of electronic devices competing for their attention, it is important that we learn the best ways to encourage our children to pick up a book, particularly if they find reading difficult.”

The CEO of Qatar Media Corp, HE Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Thani al-Thani, has affirmed the corporation's keenness, through all its screens, to be a platform for constructive dialogue and expression of the aspirations of Qatari society.In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the occasion of World Television Day, HE Sheikh Abdulaziz said that Qatar Media Corp emphasised the importance of the media outlet, given it has formed a bridge for cultural and civilizational communication between peoples over decades.He added that Qatar TV and Al Kass Sports Channels, as part of this institution, always strive to provide content that reflects our national identity and elevates the aspirations of viewers, committed to being a voice that expresses their reality and ambitions with all objectivity. He stressed the Qatar Media Corporation's belief in the importance of providing content that reflects national values and identity, while keeping pace with global media.The QMC CEO affirming the corporation's commitment to continue developing media content that is characterised by credibility and professionalism, and enhance the position of television as a means of reflecting challenges and achievements, and meeting the needs of the public in Qatar and abroad.

Qatar has effectively deployed IoT networks in various sectors, including education, retail, and transportation, demonstrating the country’s positive impact on sustainability initiatives, an official of Vodafone Qatar has said. According to Simon O’Rourke, Consumer Business Unit director, Vodafone Qatar is working to support sustainable digital growth in line with Qatar’s environmental goals. “Developing and using digital technologies in an environmentally and socially responsible way is vitally important to us,” O’Rourke told Gulf Times in an exclusive interview. He said, “As a leading provider of telecommunications, we take a digital-first approach to sustainability, recognising that improved technology and greater access to data, combined with increased collaboration, can help shift the dial.” O’Rourke explained that the Vodafone app's new look and the company’s world-first Instant SIM have enhanced the digital lives of consumers in Qatar. “The Instant SIM enables users to connect without the need for Internet and without having to visit a physical location, is a great example of how Vodafone Qatar is encouraging people to think about their environmental impact, how they can minimise the resources they use, and also how they can make best use of their own time,” he further said. O’Rourke said Vodafone Qatar is also pioneering in other innovations, including the Internet of Things (IoT), which he described as a “game-changer in energy consumption management” and can help reduce the environmental footprint of houses, cities, and businesses across Qatar. IoT refers to a network of connected machines, such as vehicles, thermostats, lighting, electricity, and water supply, that can collect and exchange data through sensors to help monitor and optimise consumption, O’Rourke said, adding that smart energy monitoring is one of the most effective ways that IoT can positively impact a city. He noted that Vodafone Qatar has launched “some of the fastest and most efficient Internet services ever seen in the Middle East, so fast that they require less electricity and therefore can play a crucial part in moving towards more sustainable operations for businesses.” “Last year, we created the Middle East’s first smart ‘Gigacity’ in Msheireb, Doha, in collaboration with Nokia, through the provision of its super-fast 25Gbps fibre network. “This was followed by the launch of Vodafone Qatar’s groundbreaking Giga Home offering, which uses ‘Gigabit only’ speeds that are nearly ten times faster than average,” O’Rourke also explained. He also emphasised that Vodafone Qatar is addressing data privacy and security concerns within the context of increased connectivity and data usage. According to O’Rourke, the digital landscape is evolving rapidly and as such, privacy and security have been at the top of Vodafone Qatar’s agenda for a number of years. “We were proud to be the first telecommunications operator in Qatar, and the region, to be awarded the prestigious ISO 27001:2013 certification by the British Standards Institution, back in 2017, demonstrating the strength of our information security management systems and operations. This accreditation has been renewed numerous times over the past eight years. “What’s more, we know that our customers want absolute control over their security, as well as control over who can contact them, and for this reason, we were delighted to launch the new International Call Block (ICB) service which means that via the new-look My Vodafone app, customers can block nuisance international calls at the touch of a button,” he said. O’Rourke pointed out that Vodafone not only caters to consumers on the security front but also offers enterprises in Qatar reliable and secure features that protect data on mobile devices, laptops, and networks. This ensures business continuity and reduces the risk of breaches, ultimately helping to minimise potential commercial losses and safeguard business integrity in the market, he said. Only recently, Vodafone Qatar announced new plans that cater to the specific needs of its customers, including the country’s burgeoning expatriate population. “When you consider that around 80% of Qatar’s population is made up of expatriate workers, who hail from all over the world, including a large proportion from Southeast Asia, it’s clear that our products and solutions need to be designed with their needs in mind. “With the launch of these new plans, we have listened carefully to what they have told us, to bring the best of what is available in the region, and indeed the rest of the world, together in a new suite of products,” he said. O’Rourke said: “When living away from loved ones, it’s important that our customers have control over how they use their data; offering dedicated social media data on our postpaid plans means people can use platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook to update family at home without impacting the cost of international calls back home to family and friends. “What’s more, unlimited local calls also means that expats can enjoy absolute peace of mind that those everyday local conversations are not incurring any charges, leaving them free to use their data for international calls.” Aside from the ICB feature that allows users to screen unwanted foreign calls, giving them complete control and peace of mind, O’Rourke said the new Mute Service makes it easy to manage unwanted calls when customers are unavailable, which can be particularly useful for those who speak to people across a variety of time zones. “Once enabled, those trying to reach a customer will be notified of their unavailability, whilst customers will still be able to make and receive calls. Such innovative safety and security features are integral in enhancing the overall connective experience,” O’Rourke added.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) witnessed an across the board selling, leading to a more than 60 points decline in the key index and more than QR2bn in capitalisation this week.The Gulf individuals were seen net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.58% this week which saw Al Mahhar Holding shareholders approve the board’s proposal to shift it to the main market from the junior bourse.The Arab retail investors turned net sellers this week which saw global credit rating agency Standard and Poor’s forecast Qatar's average debt-servicing costs to be below 5% of general government revenues by 2027, aided by debt reduction strategies and higher expected earnings related to the North Field Expansion,The industrials, telecom, insurance and consumer goods and services sectors witnessed higher than average selling pressure this week which saw the United Nations Development Programme join hands with the Ooredoo Group to establish a comprehensive policy framework to accelerate digital transformation across the Arab region.The foreign institutions continued to be bearish but with lesser intensity in the main market this week which saw Mekdam Holding bag QR71.5mn project from QatarEnergy.The Gulf funds also continued to be bearish but with lesser vigour in the main bourse this week which saw Standard and Poor’s affirm Commercial Bank’s rating at ‘A-/A-2’ with stable outlook.The domestic institutions’ substantially weakened net buying had its influence in the main market this week which saw Techno Q bag two major projects in Saudi Arabia.The local retail investors’ lower net buying had its say in the main bourse this week which saw Qatar reiterate its commitment to develop digital ecosystem.The foreign individuals were seen net buyers in the main bourse this week which saw a total of 0.18mn Masraf Al Rayan-sponsored exchange-traded fund QATR worth QR0.39mn trade across 37 deals.The Arab funds’ net selling was seen weakening in the main market this week which saw as many as 0.05mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.55mn change hands across 33 transactions.The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices in the main market this week which saw the real estate and industrials sectors together constitute about 53% of the total trade volumes.Market capitalisation melted 0.35% to QR617.32bn on the back of small and microcap segments this week, which saw no trading of treasury bills.Trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease in the main market, whereas it showed expansion in the junior bourse this week, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 0.58%, the All Share Index by 0.49% and the All Islamic Index by 0.73% this week.The industrials sector index tanked 1.08%, telecom (0.99%), insurance (0.93%), consumer goods and services (0.74%), transport (0.49%), banks and financial services (0.17%) and real estate (0.16%) this week.Major losers in the main bourse included Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Aamal Company, Beema, Widam Food, Al Khaleej Takaful, Qatar Islamic Bank, Alijarah Holding, Dlala, Salam International Investment, Woqod, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Qatar Electricity and Water, Industries Qatar, Estithmar Holding, Mazaya Qatar, Ooredoo and Gulf Warehousing. In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value this week.Nevertheless, Ezdan, QIIB, QLM, Medicare Group and Qatari Investors Group were among the gainers in the main market. In the junior bourse, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value this week.The Gulf individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR7.2mn compared with net buyers of QR3.03mn the week ended November 14.The Arab retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR3.53mn against net buyers of QR10.35mn the previous week.The domestic institutions’ net buying weakened substantially to QR80.11mn compared to QR191.34mn a week ago.The local retail investors’ net buying declined significantly to QR11.24mn against QR47.45mn the week ended November 14.However, the foreign individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR4.72mn compared with net sellers of QR0.55mn the previous week.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking shrank drastically to QR73.29mn against QR200.48mn a week ago.The Gulf institutions’ net selling decreased considerably to QR12.06mn compared to QR51.1mn the week ended November 14.The Arab institutions’ net profit booking eased marginally to QR0.02mn against QR0.03mn the previous week.The main market witnessed a 22% contraction in trade volumes to 552.73mn shares, 28% in value to QR1.45bn and 24% in deals to 57,955 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes gained 17% to 4.58mn equities, value by 22% to QR11.59mn and transactions by 9% to 337.

The Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs, represented by the Religious Guidance Section of the Department of Da’wa and Religious Guidance, participated in the activities of the 13th edition of Kashta exhibition, specialising in supplies for land and sea trips and camping equipment. The pavilion witnessed the display of its most prominent advocacy publications in the field of camping and Islamic etiquette that should be followed. The Religious Guidance Section organises annual events for the camping season with lectures. A group of Awqaf’s preachers conduct a number of visits to the camps and camps while distributing publications that address a number of preaching directives in this field. Also, the section produces and publishes preaching clips that remind the owners of these camps of many of the things they need during this season. Organised by Al Daayen and Simaisma Youth Centre under the auspices of the Ministry of Sports and Youth, the event brought together over 60 firms and institutions specialising in this field, along with several productive families. Held at the headquarters of the Simaisma and Al Daayen Youth Centre, the exhibition was held with the aim of linking heritage with reality, customs and traditions and encouraging young people to make the best use of these camps.