Qatar will soon announce a defence production hub, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, minister of state for defence affairs, said on Monday at the Global Security Forum in Doha.
He made the remarks against the backdrop of the Middle East conflict, which has seen Iranian attacks on energy-rich Gulf countries. Al Thani said Qatar is working with a regional partner and with the United States, the United Kingdom and France, either to provide protection locally or to invest in defence companies.
Plans to counter missiles, drones and cyberattacks
Asked about threats facing Qatar and other Gulf states, including ballistic missiles, drones and cyberattacks, Al Thani said a new partnership with regional partners would be announced soon. He said it would aim to build capabilities against these threats and others.
Impact of the Iran war on Qatar’s energy and shipping
The Iran war has hit Qatar hard. Shortly after hostilities began, the country was forced to shut down much of its main LNG complex at Ras Laffan, and it faced restrictions on global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Qatar has historically had no large-scale defence production hub. Its security has instead relied on high-end foreign procurement and external security guarantees rather than domestic capacity.
