Qatar controlling British hotels to serve own political agenda

Mohamed Abdelghaffar

The Qatari regime uses Qatari money in gaining influence around the world. It is doing this by purchasing facilities, including well-reputed international hotel chains, especially in the United Kingdom.

Hidden investor

The coronavirus outbreak around the world is bringing severe recession to the international economy. Nevertheless, the Qatari regime is using the same outbreak in maximizing its economic gains.

In early April, British newspapers announced the purchase of London’s famous Ritz Hotel to an unknown Qatari investor. This raised questions around the investor.

The sale of the hotel came on the same day it said it would close down because of the coronavirus.

According to The Financial Times, the unknown Qatari investor paid 800 million pound sterling to buy the hotel, which is an inflated price.

Middle people were not part of the sale operation of the hotel, the newspaper said.

Soon, however, the unknown buyer turned out to be Abdel Hadi Manie al-Hajri, a brother-in-law of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad. Al-Hajri, 40, paid the price of the hotel in gold bars.

In Qatar’s hold

The new deal has brought to light Qatar’s attempts to control British hotels. The purchase of the Ritz Hotel is the last episode in a long series of Qatari purchase operations of British hotels.

In the period between 2007 and 2013, the Qatari sovereign wealth fund acquired a large number of British hotels.

Qatar is now in possession of the most famous hotels in the UK, outrivaling all other countries in this regard.

Influence

Qatar uses the money it earns from the facilities it owns in the UK and in other countries in propping up its economy and offering support to terrorist organizations around the world.

Nevertheless, it also has political motivations behind the purchase of all these British hotels.

Qatar invests 35  billion pound sterling in the British hotel sector. This means that it is a major economic force in the British market. This gives it influence over the British economy.