Qatar Cabinet condemns Iranian attacks, approves new digital and competition laws

Qatar’s Cabinet condemned renewed Iranian attacks on Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait, while approving new legislation on cloud computing and market competition.Qatar’s Cabinet strongly condemned renewed Iranian attacks on Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait, describing them as a flagrant violation of the countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity, international law, the UN Charter and principles of good neighbourliness.The condemnation came during the Cabinet’s weekly meeting on Wednesday at the Amiri Diwan, chaired by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.Following the meeting, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ibrahim bin Ali Al-Mohannadi said the Cabinet reaffirmed Qatar’s full solidarity with the four countries and its support for measures taken to safeguard their sovereignty and security.The Cabinet called for an immediate and complete halt to all military actions and attacks threatening regional security and stability, urging parties to avoid further escalation and seriously return to dialogue and negotiations.Moving to its legislative agenda, the Cabinet approved a draft law on cloud computing and referred it to the Shura Council.Prepared by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in coordination with the Communications Regulatory Authority and other relevant bodies, the legislation aims to establish a comprehensive framework governing the storage and disclosure of digital data.It seeks to strengthen data protection and security while establishing rules for lawful access, balancing law enforcement requirements with individual privacy. The legislation also aims to support Qatar’s digital transformation and strengthen its position as an attractive destination for investment in data centres and cloud services.The Cabinet also approved a draft law regulating competition and referred it to the Shura Council.Prepared by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the legislation is intended to replace Law No. 19 of 2006 on the protection of competition and prevention of monopolistic practices.The proposed law aims to protect free and fair competition, combat monopolistic practices and regulate economic concentration, while improving market efficiency and Qatar’s business and investment environment in line with the Third National Development Strategy 2024–2030.Separately, the Cabinet reviewed the findings of a study into proposals submitted by the Shura Council on strengthening parental care and supporting family cohesion.Relevant authorities outlined plans to develop and implement a package of family-focused programmes, policies and initiatives, including improving parental education and nursery and kindergarten services, introducing measures to support work-life balance and strengthening partnerships between families and educational institutions.The initiatives also include expanding awareness efforts aimed at promoting family values and national identity.The Cabinet also approved a series of draft international agreements, including a Letter of Intent between the Qatari and Spanish interior ministries on security cooperation for the FIFA World Cup 2030 and another with Germany on security training and the exchange of expertise.Ministers also approved draft memorandums of understanding on labour cooperation with North Macedonia and tourism with Serbia, as well as an executive sports cooperation programme with Kyrgyzstan for 2026–2027.The Cabinet additionally approved a draft extension of memorandums of understanding with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development over the hosting of the Secretariat of the Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network.