Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has called for the establishment of a regional security framework bringing Gulf countries and Iran together, saying the recent conflict should serve as a “wake-up call” for countries across the region.
Al Thani made the remarks Sunday while speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
He said recent developments had challenged existing assumptions about security and stability in the Middle East and demonstrated the need for greater regional cooperation.
“Iran is our neighbor,” Al Thani said, stressing the importance of establishing a framework that would enable Gulf countries and Iran to address security concerns collectively.
“We need to understand that without having a security framework that brings us all together as Gulf countries with Iran, ensuring that none of us is posing a threat on the other, this region will not just be continuing in the same way as it used to be,” he said.
According to the Qatari prime minister, regional countries need to work together to establish relationships based on dialogue and mutual security assurances.
“We have to act together responsibly as a region and to make sure that we are having good relations with Iran and Iran has good relations with the Gulf countries,” he added.
Qatar Pushes for Regional Dialogue
Al Thani said Qatar and other regional partners were already working toward the establishment of such an arrangement.
“We are working toward that. Our regional partners believe in this, and we are hoping that this war is a wake-up call for everyone that it's time for it to happen,” he said.
Qatar has positioned itself as a mediator in several regional conflicts and has maintained communication channels with parties involved in disputes across the Middle East.
Al Thani said Doha would continue its mediation efforts, maintain communication channels and cooperate with regional and international partners in an effort to reduce tensions and facilitate diplomatic understandings.
His comments come as Gulf states continue to navigate complex relations with both Iran and the United States. Iran shares the Gulf region with several Arab states, while the United States maintains significant military and security partnerships with countries including Qatar and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The proposed framework outlined by Al Thani would seek to bring these countries into a broader regional security arrangement based on mutual assurances and dialogue.
Economic Investment Plans
Beyond regional security, Al Thani also used the forum to announce new economic initiatives and investment plans for Qatar.
He announced the launch of the Doha Investment platform, which is intended to manage and expand the Qatar Investment Authority’s domestic portfolio while increasing private-sector participation in the country's economy.
Qatar is also expecting to tender approximately $38.5 billion worth of infrastructure projects over the next five years.
In addition, real estate and hospitality projects are expected to attract approximately $22.5 billion in private investment during the same period.
Combined, the infrastructure, real estate and hospitality opportunities could represent more than $60 billion in potential investment, according to the figures announced by the prime minister.
The investment plans reflect Qatar's broader efforts to diversify its economy and expand private-sector participation beyond its traditional reliance on hydrocarbons.
Regional Crisis Dominates UN Discussions
Al Thani's comments came as world leaders gathered in New York for the high-level week of the UN General Assembly.
The conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, as well as its wider regional consequences, has emerged as a major concern for Gulf states and other countries participating in the UN discussions.
For Qatar, the crisis has reinforced the importance of maintaining diplomatic channels and finding mechanisms through which regional countries can address security concerns without further escalation.
The Qatari prime minister's proposal focuses on bringing Gulf countries and Iran into a common security framework in which the participating states would seek assurances that their territories and interests would not be threatened by one another.
Al Thani did not provide details of how such a framework would be structured, what countries would formally participate or what specific security commitments it would contain.
He nevertheless emphasized that regional cooperation and continued dialogue with Iran were necessary elements of any long-term approach to Middle Eastern security.
Qatar's continued mediation role, combined with its proposed regional security initiative and investment plans, places diplomacy and economic development at the centre of Doha's approach as Gulf countries respond to the latest regional crisis.
