ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates withdrew on Thursday a complaint it had made to the World Trade Organization accusing Qatar of imposing discriminatory trade restrictions on its goods.

“Qatar withdrew the measures in question, in order to address the claims” which led Abu Dhabi to discontinue its action against Doha, the UAE foreign ministry said in a statement.

The UAE, whose complaint was referred to a WTO dispute resolution panel in May, has enforced a complete economic embargo of Qatar along with Saudi Arabia and other regional allies since June 2017.

The Saudi-led bloc, which also includes Bahrain and Egypt, accuses Doha of supporting Islamist movements and backing Iran, a claim Qatar rejects.

The UAE previously said the measures it challenged “appear to be inconsistent” with WTO agreements.

“Qatar’s discriminatory measures against goods... originating from the United Arab Emirates, imposed in May and June 2018, violated Qatar’s obligations and commitments as a member of the WTO,” added the Emirati statement.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2019