Friend of UK royal named in plot to financially ruin Qatar, report says

A close banker friend of Prince Andrew has been named as being at the heart of an alleged global plot to ruin the oil-rich state of Qatar, British newspaper Daily Mail reports.

According to the report, a judge stated that Tory donor David Rowland will not voluntarily allow access to email accounts that it is claimed could shed light on his bank’s alleged role in a conspiracy by some of the UK’s closest international allies to undermine the Gulf state by manipulating financial markets.

Qatar has accused Rowland, 76, of launching a cover-up over his alleged role, said to have been carried out alongside bodies in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the paper reported.

Rowland is the owner of a private bank headquartered in Luxembourg.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt launched a boycott of Qatar in June 2017, accusing the Gulf peninsula state of supporting terrorism, a charge Doha vehemently denies.

A senior Qatari official later revealed that the Gulf States and Egypt planned to attack Doha before imposing their blockade.

In January this year, they agreed to mend ties and reinstate diplomatic missions.

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