The Qatari community headed by their Consul General Khamis Bin Ibrahim Al-Mohannadi celebrated their country's National Day at Jeddah Hilton Sunday. Director General of the Foreign Ministry office for Makkah region Salem Omar Bshehab, Consuls General of GCC states, foreign diplomats, Saudi officials, businessmen and media personnel were also present. Al-Mohannadi praised the strong ties between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. “The Saudi-Qatari relations are not only between the leaders, but also between the peoples of the two countries who share one single religion, language, history and border,” he said. “Since the GCC was founded in 1981, the whole Gulf region has become like one country sharing the same strategic and political goals and social norms.” Qatar National Day commemorates the day when Sheikh Jassem Bin Mohamed Al-Thani achieved national unity in 1878. Qatar first began celebrating the National Day in 2007. Economic relations between Qatar and Saudi Arabia have seen major developments in the past few years. Saudi Arabia has become the second largest trade partner of Qatar with total volume of trade exchange exceeding SR6 billion, according to figures disclosed by the Central Bank in 2008. __
