Dubai renames main street in honour of Kuwait’s late Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad
The following is the continuation of the main events in the GCC countries through the year 2021.
– Editor
May 26: Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani announced the donation of USD 500 million in support for the reconstruction of Gaza.
May 28: Qatar cabinet allowed gradual reopening of amusement parks with 30 percent of capacity for open spaces, and 20 percent for closed spaces, in which only vaccinated people are allowed to enter.
June 3: Qatar football team defeated India in the joint qualifiers for FIFA World Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023.
June 7: Qatar football team qualified to AFC Asian Cup 2023.
June 11: Qatar launched an online registration for arrivals.
June 13: Qatar reveled (DADU) as the official name of the children’s museum.
June 14: Qatar swimming federation announced hosting the 8th GCC water games.
June 17: Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani issued an amiri order to reshuffle cabinet.
June 18: Qatar allowed wedding parties in hotel halls and other independent venues.
June 21: Qatar Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al-Thani received a copy of the credentials of the Saudi Ambassador to Qatar, Prince Mansour bin Khaled bin Farhan Al-Saud.
June 21: Qatar economic forum inaugurated with more than 2,000 participants from the world’s leading experts and decision-makers in the fields of finance, economics, investment, technology, energy, education, sports and climate.
June 26: Qatar Ministry of Public Health announced that more than three million doses administered in National COVID-19 Vaccination Program.
June 26: Qatari-Egyptian FollowUp Committee Held their 5th Meeting in Doha in implementation of Al-Ula Summit hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on January 5, 2021.
June 26: The Safety and Security Operations Committee (SSOC) of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and FIFA signed the official Security Concept of Operations.
June 26: Minister of transport and Communications Jassem Al-Sulaiti inaugurated Mowasalat’s (Karwa) electricity bus charging station in preparation for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
July 7: The government said unvaccinated public and private sectors’ employees should conduct weekly PCR tests.
July 21: Qatar allocated USD 100 million for World Food Program’s (WFP) operations in Yemen.
July 29: Qatar appointed Ambassadors to Egypt and Libya.
Aug 22: Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad issues a decree to the Shura Council on October 2nd in Qatar’s first legislative elections.
Sept 7: Qatar Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) inaugurates the activities of the fifth edition of the Katara International Hunting and Falconry Exhibition ‘Suhail 2021’, with the participation of 12 Kuwaiti companies specialized in the field of weapons, hunting ammunition, land supplies and trips.
Sept 15: Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health announces that enhanced doses of vaccines approved in the country against the emerging COVID-19 virus are given to individuals most at risk of the virus who received the second dose of the vaccine more than eight months ago.
Sept 15: Qatar’s Cabinet approves a draft decision on the terms and conditions of the part-time system in government agencies.
Sept 20: The Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation announces the postponement of (Gulf Cup 25) scheduled to be held in Basra, Iraq, in December to January 2023.
Oct 2: The electoral commission announced victory of 30 candidates in Qatar’ first Shura Council elections.
Oct 21: Qatar and Britain announced plans to launch an annual strategic dialogue, the first to be in London in the first quarter 2022.
Oct 22: Al-Sadd won the Amir’s Cup after beating Al-Rayyan 5-4 in penalty shoot-out.
Oct 28: Prime Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Thani announced the national environmental and climate change strategy.
Nov 1: Qatar fund for development and the International Organization for Migration signed an agreement to develop infrastructure in 11 camps for IDPs in northwest Syria.
Nov 9: Qatar signed two agreements with UNRWA to provide it with USD 25 million.
Nov 18: The national council for America-Arab relations gave its global humanitarian leadership award for Amir Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani for his role following collapse of the Afghan government in August.
Nov 21: Qatar announced completion of eight stadiums for the 2022 World Cup.
Dec. 13: Qatar and Uruguay signed a number of MoUs on youth, sport, education and diplomacy.
Dec. 17: The MoH announced the first four Omicron cases.
Major events of 2021 in UAE: Jan. 9: United Arab Emirates announces reopening of air, sea, and land borders with Qatar.
Jan. 21: Dubai suspends entertainment activities in restaurants and hotels as a precaution against the continued rise in coronavirus cases in the country.
Feb. 1: Dubai announces a new set of Covid-19 precautionary measures including limiting capacity at indoor venues, and cinemas as well as entertainment and sports venues to be reduced to 50 per cent of maximum capacity.
Feb. 3: UAE announces that students will return to class rooms from Feb. 14 in a gradual and phased manner for all grades in public schools, until the end of the school year.
Feb. 9: UAE’s Hope Proper, the first interplanetary mission undertaken by an Arab nation, arrives in Mars successfully.
Feb. 11: UAE reshuffles cabinet as Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan has been appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Anwar Gargash appointed as diplomatic advisor to the President.
Feb. 25: Dubai renames main street in honour Kuwait’s late Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad.
March 22: The United Arab Emirates implements a 10-year plan to increase the industrial sector’s contribution to the GDP from its current USD 36 billion to USD 82 billion by 2031.
March 24: Deputy ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashed Al Maktoum, dies at the age of 75.
March 29: UAE-made Covid vaccine, Hayat-Vas production begins, the first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine in the region to be manufactured by a newly created joint venture between Abu Dhabi’s G42 and Sinopharm.
April 6: The UAE unveiled its first nuclear energy plant (Barakah).
May 14: Emirati and Greek Foreign Ministries signed a “safe travel corridor” agreement.
May 21: UAE and Egypt launched (Zayed 3) joint military exercise, and will continue until May 30.
May 29: The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) approved the emergency use of a highly-effective treatment for COVID-19, becoming the first country in the world to both license and enable immediate patient use.
June 11: UAE suspended entry of passengers from Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda.