UK chancellor joins Doha diplomatic traffic

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond travelled to Qatar as part of a mini-Gulf tour in early January. While in Doha, Hammond held talks with several ministers including prime minister and interior minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al-Thani. Also in Doha in the first week of January was the head of the Syrian National Coalition Anas Al-Abada and High Negotiations Committee chief co-ordinator Riad Hijab. They met with foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani (who has now been in the job for almost a year) and state minister for foreign affairs Sultan Bin Saad Al-Muraikhi.