ALBAWABA - Qatar is considering to withdraw its investments from Britain, in a a tit-for-tat move in protest against the London Transport Authority's ban on Qatar-related advertisements on public buses, taxis and the underground.
The London Transport Authority, also known as Transport for London, said its action was in support of LGBTQ rights, which Qatar vehemently opposes.
Qatar is reviewing its investments in London after its advertisements were banned from the capital’s buses, taxies and Tube network, according to reports https://t.co/ClEdagPDOR
— Evening Standard (@EveningStandard) November 26, 2022
Doha is said to have multi-billion dollar investments, and is a major financial backer of prestigious ventures like Harrods, Shards Building, Canary Warf, Savoy and Grosvenor Hotels. It is also believed to have a 20 percent stake in Heathrow Airport, among other investments.
"At a time when other investors are pulling out of London due to economic instability, the decision has been interpreted as a message from the mayor's office that #Qatar's business is not welcome in London."https://t.co/Nzgd4Z78ue
— Dr Andreas Krieg (@andreas_krieg) November 26, 2022
The incident drew scathing attacks by bloggers, commenting on the news, reported by media outlets, such as the Financial Times and AFP Arabic. The latter added that Qatar is one of 11 countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which carry out the death penalty against those who commit homosexual practices.
Qatar is reviewing its investments in London after the organisation running the capital's transport system banned the Middle East country's advertisements on the Tube, buses and taxis. https://t.co/CK4Vimmh96
— Alexander Seale (@AlexSeale) November 26, 2022
Arabic-language bloggers quickly reacted to the London Transport decision, supporting Qatar to the hilt. One blogger said "we don't need your advertisements", while another proclaimed: "we are all Qatar". A third blogger said "let the gay community benefit you". Some retweeted posts by Russian President Vladimir Putin, praising his anti-gay stances and fiery public criticism of the LGBTQ community, as in violation of Christian doctrine.
— كمال الزغبي (@Kamelovs) November 27, 2022
Some posts even castigated the gay and lesbian community, while one said Qatar is not honored to be promoted by those who lack masculinity. "Qatar needs men in the full sense of the word, not homosexuals in the form of men!"
