CANBERRA, Australia: Qatar Airways’ chief executive said Tuesday the carrier will post a loss this year because four other Arab countries have severed land, air and sea links with Qatar.
Akbar Al-Baker said his state-owned airline might know by April the size of the loss. He could not give a timeline on when the new routes would make up for markets lost.
“It all depends on how quick we will be able to mature the new destinations that we are operating instead of the destinations that were taken away from us during the boycott,” Al-Baker said.
“The world is very large and we are always looking at new opportunities which we have been doing very successfully. We will grow everywhere, not only by ... new destinations but also grow frequencies,” he added.
Qatar’s four neighbors have effectively cut their air, land and sea links, isolating it, though there is no military boycott.
President Donald Trump last year denounced Qatar for allegedly funding terrorism.
But Al-Baker has ruled out any reputational damage for his airline or his country from that accusation of supporting extremists that led to the severing of Qatar’s links with its neighbors.
“Mr. Trump realizes that he was misinformed, misled by the blockading countries to believe that Qatar was a pariah in the region, which is not the case. We are a big supporter and an ally of the United States,” he said.
Al-Baker rejected reports last month from the UAE, home of the world’s busiest airport in Dubai, that Qatari fighter jets had “intercepted” Emirati commercial airliners. The air forces of Qatar’s boycotting neighbors have never intercepted a Qatar Airways airliner, he said.
“This is false news just to increase the temperature and find ways to expand the conflict,” Al-Baker said.
The US and Qatar last month inked a deal to resolve a years-old quarrel over alleged airline subsidies.
The aviation agreement calls for Qatar Airways to open up its accounting books: US airlines say the company receives billions of dollars in government payments that leave them at a competitive disadvantage. Qatar also made a loose commitment not to launch flights to the US from Europe or other non-Qatari cities that would create yet more competition for US carriers.
Al-Baker denied his airline was subsidized and said he had no interest in using “fifth freedom” rights to stop in other countries en route to the US.
Al-Baker told reporters at a Kuwait air show last month that a US start-up airline had offered Qatar Airways a 25 percent stake.
The offer remains “under wraps,” Al-Baker said Tuesday.
“But Qatar as a country and Qatar Airways are very keen to invest in the United States,” Al-Baker said.
Qatar Airways to grow despite boycott, CEO says
Qatar Airways to grow despite boycott, CEO says
Qatar residential property sales jump 44% in 2025 as prices ease: Knight Frank
RIYADH: Qatar’s residential property sales surged 43.5 percent in 2025 to 26.6 billion Qatari riyals ($7.30 billion), driven by rising transaction volumes even as home prices softened, according to Knight Frank.
The number of residential deals climbed 50 percent in 2025 from a year earlier to 6,831 transactions, signaling sustained liquidity in the market despite a more competitive pricing environment, the property consultancy said in its Qatar Real Estate Market Review.
In line with broader trends across the Gulf Cooperation Council, Qatar is seeking to strengthen its real estate sector as part of its economic diversification efforts.
Faisal Durrani, head of research at Knight Frank for the Middle East and North Africa region, said: “Although residential prices are softening, strong growth in transaction volumes highlights continued liquidity and demand in Qatar’s core residential markets and indicating stabilization, rather than a market in retreat.”
In the fourth quarter of 2025, residential sales activity remained concentrated in key locations, led by Doha, which recorded 564 transactions with a combined value of 2.4 billion riyals. Al Wakrah followed with 387 transactions worth 895 million riyals.
“Average villa prices fell by 1 percent during the 12 months to the fourth quarter of 2025, reflecting a more competitive pricing environment as supply expands and buyers become increasingly value-led. Despite this moderation, prime locations remain resilient, supported by steady demand for premium schemes,” said Durrani.
Rental rates also eased, with average villa rents down 2.4 percent year on year in the fourth quarter to 12,985 riyals per month. Prime locations continued to outperform, with West Bay Lagoon averaging 18,656 riyals a month for three-bedroom villas and up to 25,696 riyals for five-bedroom units. Overall villa rents declined 3 percent in 2025.
“Qatar’s residential rental market continues to be shaped by tenant demand for well-located, lifestyle-led communities, with pricing remaining strong for larger villas in established neighborhoods,” said Knight Frank’s Adam Stewart.
Qatar’s office market showed similar trends, with grade-A rents falling 1.4 percent year on year to 90 riyals per sq. meter per month. Demand remained focused on prime districts, led by West Bay and the Marina District, as occupiers shifted away from older buildings.
“Economic diversification in line with Qatar’s National Vision 2030 is supporting job growth and office demand, especially in the tech, green energy, and services sectors,” said Stewart.
He added: “These occupiers are increasingly seeking high-specification, modern buildings with advanced facilities, and we are seeing a clear shift toward prime locations in Doha and Lusail, pulling tenants away from older stock.”
