Doha / Information Office / May 16

Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi, who is also Chair of the ministry's Committee on the Law of the Sea, issued a statement on the State of Qatar's assigning of its economic zones on its shores and the shores of islands in the Arabian Gulf under its sovereignty, which included an exclusive economic zone on its shores and the shores in the Arabian Gulf under its sovereignty.

Exclusive economic zones of the State of Qatar are measured from the baseline of its regional sea in the main shores of the State of Qatar and the shores of islands that belong to it, and extends 200 nautical miles or to the borders of the territorial waters of the neighboring countries in accordance to bilateral agreements signed between those countries.

The State of Qatar exercise full sovereign rights over the natural resources found in its exclusive economic zones in terms of exploration, use, management, and development of these resources and maintaining them. The State of Qatar also has full sovereignty over the zone for conducting scientific research, establishing marine facilities, man-made islands, and taking the necessary measures to protect the marine environment.

Foreign ships are not allowed to fish in the exclusive economic zone mentioned in the declaration unless they obtain a license from the designated Qatari authorities. Foreign ships that want to conduct scientific research or hydrographic surveys in the area must inform the designated Qatari authorities before carrying out those activities.

The rights practiced by the State of Qatar in its exclusive economic zone will not have any implications on the freedom of navigation in international waters that are carried out by other countries, in line with international law.

The declaration was made in the context of the State of Qatar's commitment to the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982, particularly articles 74 and 75.