The week in Tweets: Did you celebrate World Tourism Day & His Highness’s return?

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Compiled by Nushrat Anjum

A people’s welcome:

His Highness the Emir returned to Qatar on September 24, 2017 from his first trip abroad since the GCC Crisis began on June 5. After diplomatic visits to Europe, His Highness addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In his speech, he not only spoke about about the unfair siege on Qatar, but also shed light on humanitarian crises around the world. Upon his returns, thousands of Qatar residents poured in their support for His Highness on Twitter, while crowds flocked to the Corniche to welcome him home.

(Translation: 'Trapped in our hearts')

Qatar hosts the 2017 United Nations World Tourism Day:

It was World Tourism Day on September 27, and the theme for this year’s celebrations was ‘Sustainable Tourism – a Tool for Development’. Qatar has stepped up their tourism game this year by allowing visa-free travel for 80 countries! It was also the official host for #WTD2017, as delegates and dignitaries from more than 20 nations descended on Doha to discuss tourism and sustainable development. The Qatar Tourism Authority also announced a complete restructuring of its governing body for tourism in Qatar. Here’s how Twitter reacted:

United we stand, divided we fall:

Citizens and residents of Qatar have been living this phrase since June 5, 2017 -- the first day of the blockade. Everyone is showing their support to the government and the country through various means -- art, dialogue, gatherings...and Twitter. The support has been constant and on the rise -- here’s how Twitter expressed solidarity this week:

(Translation: 'Everyone is invited to welcome our Sheikh Tamim, the young and the old, he loves us all')

(Translation: 'Today's Ashura: Praying that our prayers are heard and that Allah saves our country Qatar, and its Emir, and its people, away from all hatred.')

Women to be allowed to drive in Saudi (finally!):

Saudi Arabia announced earlier this week that, starting in June 2018, women will finally be allowed to drive in the country! This decision comes after years of activism and foreign criticism, with the announcement seen as a step towards gender-equity in the highly-conservative Kingdom. This is how Twitter responded to the news:

Al Udeid Air Base:

In an unannounced visit on Thursday, September 28, US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis visited the largest US Air Base outside the continental United States -- Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base. Its strategic location allows them to command and control U.S. and its coalition air forces’ air power throughout operations in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and 17 other nations. Mattis visited Qatar this week to strengthen strategic relations between the US and Qatar: