Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain, as part of their commitment to combating terrorism, have listed 37 individuals and six entities in a statement that addresses threats posed by Qatar linked and based terrorism support networks, a report said.

These designations have specifically financed, aided and/or provided material support to Al-Qaeda and its associated organisations and networks, added the report by WAM, the Emirates official news agency.

As a result of the update, 59 individuals and 12 entities are now designated by each of the four countries.

Among the sanctioned parties are charities and fundraisers in Qatar that have acted for the benefit of Al-Qaeda for more than a decade.

The designations point to the fact that despite repeated calls from the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the international community, Qatar remains a permissive jurisdiction for terrorism financing.

The designations are a direct response to the Government of Qatar’s consistent refusal to take meaningful steps to disrupt the activities of terrorist support networks operating within its borders. In fact several of the entities and individuals identified are explicitly affiliated to the Government of Qatar, the report said.