at a fixed exchange rate of US$1 = QR 3.64. This rate was enshrined into Qatari law by Royal Decree No.34 of 2001, signed by Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, on 9 July 2001. Article (1) states that the Qatari riyal exchange rate shall be pegged against the US dollar at QR 3.64, and sets upper and lower limits of QR 3.6415 and QR 3.6385 for the Qatar Central Bank's purchase and sale of dollars with banks operating in Qatar. Article (2) provides the Qatar Central Bank with the authority to determine the volume and the time of sale of US dollars and the associated conditions of such sales and payments. Article (3) cancels the earlier Royal Decree No.60 of 1975, by which the riyal was officially pegged to the IMF's special drawing rights (SDRs). Effect of the 2017 Qatar diplomatic crisis In response to the 2017 Qatar diplomatic crisis, banks in the countries blockading Qatar had to stop trading with Qatari banks. This led to a fall in liquidity offshore and a move away from the fixed exchange rate outside of Qatar, with up to QR 3.81 being required to buy 1 US dollar in late June 2017, a situation that continued until December 2017. This also led to cessation of trading of Qatari banknotes outside of Qatar with certain banks in certain countries such as the UK. Within Qatar itself, however, the Central Bank of Qatar has continued to buy and sell US dollars at the fixed rate. See also Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf Economy of Qatar Qatar Central Bank References External links The banknotes of Qatar Fixed exchange rate Currencies introduced in 1973 Riyal