Qatari airlines, food security at risk as ties ruptured

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Mon, 05 Jun 2017 - 10:49 GMT

BY

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 - 10:49 GMT

Is the decision by six Arab countries to cut ties with Qatar going to affect the tiny emirate’s economy? – Creative Commons via Wikimedia

Is the decision by six Arab countries to cut ties with Qatar going to affect the tiny emirate’s economy? – Creative Commons via Wikimedia

Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Yemen cut off diplomatic relations with Qatar for allegedly supporting terrorist organizations.

The decisions to cut off diplomatic ties coincided with other decisions regarding the cancelation of all flights to and from Qatar while all border crossings were crossed as ties were announced cut.

Qatar’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said the measures were unjustified and based on false claims and assumptions.

Egypt
Egypt said in a statement early Monday that diplomatic relations have been suspended over Qatar's support for the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

Egypt announced the closure of its airspace and seaports for all Qatari transportation to protect its national security, the Foreign Ministry added in the Monday statement.

Saudi Arabia
The Saudi State News Agency posted an official statement that the Saudi Kingdom would close all land, sea and airports.

Saudi Arabia also started “the immediate legal procedures for understanding with fraternal and friendly countries and international companies to implement the same procedure as soon as possible for all means of transport to and from the State of Qatar, for reasons related to Saudi national security,” according to the statement.

The move comes two weeks after Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain blocked several Qatari media outlets over comments allegedly made by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Al Hamad Al-Thani in a disputed news report.

The United Arab Emirates
Acting on instructions from the Emirates government, the Emirates airlines have suspended all flights to and from Doha starting Tuesday morning “until further notice.”

Following Saudi Arabia’s decision to seal its borders to Qatar, the Emirates government followed the same lead and ceased means of transport between UAE and Qatar.

The UAE has taken “safeguarding measures” against Qatari diplomats and expatriates in the Emirates, including breaking off diplomatic relations.

Qatari diplomats were given 48 hours to leave the UAE, preventing Qatari nationals from entering the UAE or crossing its points of entry.

UAE’s airspace and seaports for all Qataris will close within 24 hours.

Bahrain
Bahrain also severed diplomatic relations with Qatar, citing ongoing attempts to destabilize security in the Kingdom, interfering in its affairs and supporting terrorist organizations.

Qatar citizens were given 14 days while Qatar diplomats were given 48 hours to leave Bahrain, according to a statement by the Bahraini Foreign Ministry.

Moreover, airspace and ports from and into Qatar were announced closed within 24 hours of the statement’s announcement.

Would that affect Qatar?
Apparently four leading countries are suspending all flights to and from Doha starting Tuesday morning, not to mention that Yemen and Libya also announced cutting of relations with the tiny emirate.

Taking a glance at the Abu Samra border post between Saudi Arabia and Qatar; it received more than 326 thousand visitors only during the period between January 2016 to February 2016.

Around 600-800 trucks pass through the Abu Samra border every day.

The Qatari airlines, on the other hand, are apparently going to be negatively impacted by the decision.

The Doha Airport received around 37.3 million passengers in 2016, with about 7 percent increase if compared to 2015.

According to a

BBC

report, “It is Qatar’s flag carrier that risks being the biggest loser.”

Flights to and from Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Manama and Cairo will be suspended, which means losing dozens of flights a day.

“Every day hundreds of lorries cross the border, and food is one of the main supplies. About 40% of Qatar's food is believed to come via this route,” BBC report added.

"It will immediately cause inflation and that will directly affect normal Qatari people," Ghanem Nuseibeh, director at advisory firm Cornerstone Global, told BBC.

"If things start costing significantly more, then you're going to see the Qatari people putting increasing political pressure on the ruling family for either a change of leadership or a change of direction,” Nuseibeh added.

Some media outlets have

reported

that many Qataris began storming into supermarkets in order to buy and store as much food product following the decision from six countries so far to cut ties with Qatar.

The decisions by the Saudi kingdom and the UAE are considered the most crucial as they are considered Qatar’s most significant trade partners.

2015 reports put Saudi Arabia and UAE on top of countries that export food products to Qatar; totaling a cost of around $310 million.

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