Due to the embargo imposed by Gulf Arab states headed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar has altered its course toward Turkey. Moreover, Sheikh Abdelaziz bin Ahmed al-Thani, one of the members of the ruling al-Thani family in Qatar and one of the owners of Sharaka Holding, one of Qatar's leading construction companies, said that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has finished for them and that they will carry out all of their projects with Turkey from now on, according to the Turkish daily Hürriyet.
We are at the assembly of Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed al-Thani, the elder brother of Sheikh Abdelaziz bin Ahmed al-Thani, who is the chairman of Sharaka Holding's Board of Directors. Here, the assembly is used to mean "living and entertainment hall."
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he owners of Sharaka Holding, one of the biggest construction companies in Qatar, live in a social facility with six villas, two of which are guest halls. When we entered the assembly, marbles and luxurious furniture covering one wall of it caught our eye. Ahmed al-Thani, who is an architect, said he brought the chandeliers, furniture and marble in the hall from Turkey. The assembly includes a massage parlor, a Turkish bath, a whirlpool bath and a games room for children.
The al-Thani family said they are greatly sad and disappointed because of the blockade imposed on Qatar by the Saudi-led Gulf states. Sheikh Abdulaziz said, "enough", adding: "The Gulf Cooperation Council has finished for us, can a man behave to his brother like this? From now on, Turkey and Turkish companies will be the number one destination for all of our projects. I seriously think to invest more in Turkey. Our doors are fully open to Turkish companies, there are plenty of business opportunities for both countries now, and we need to seize them."
He continued, saying, "We are very sad that these countries that we consider to be our brothers and sisters have treated us like this. You get up one morning and you are in a state of being blockaded by your brothers, but every cloud has a silver lining. Fortunately, Turkey sides with Qatar in this crisis as well. However, many countries in the Gulf do not want Qatar to get closer to Turkey, and they see it against their interests."
Sheikh Abdullah said Qatar will become a center for products coming from Turkey, and especially from other countries of the Middle East and Africa. Moreover, he stressed that there are a number of sectors in Qatar that offer export and investment opportunities for Turkish companies including medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, surgical supplies and construction materials. He also underscored that a free economic zone to be built in Qatar for Turkish companies alone and a free economic zone to be established in Turkey for Qatari companies alone will create many employment opportunities.