QATAR AND UAE CONDEMN ATTACK ON NAKILAT LNG TANKER IN THE GULF

Qatar Gas Transport Company, known as Nakilat, announced on Sunday that "unidentified objects" struck its liquefied natural gas tanker Al Mayeda in the Gulf on 30 October. The company stated that the ship was carrying liquefied natural gas during the Friday evening strike. Nakilat reported no crew injuries or environmental damage. The Qatari Foreign Ministry and the United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry both condemned the attack. On X on 1 November, the United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry also expressed solidarity with Qatar.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry confirmed that Nakilat owns the Al Mayeda. Nakilat operates as a Qatari public shareholding company with public and private sector ownership that transports liquefied natural gas in Qatar's energy supply chain. The company did not specify the strike's exact location, the nature of the objects, or those responsible. Commercial ships and oil and gas tankers in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz have faced repeated attacks in recent months.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry stated that authorities have launched investigations to establish the circumstances of the strike and identify those responsible. It called the attack "a dangerous act that threatens the safety of maritime navigation and the security of global energy supplies." The ministry warned that such "reckless and irresponsible practices" threaten the global economy, regional water security and the marine environment, adding that Qatar reserves the right to protect its vessels and crews under international law and the UN Charter. The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry similarly warned of risks to regional security and called for the protection of commercial vessels, crews and energy shipments under international law.