Saudis lead Arab states in boycott of Qatar over terrorism

Land border closed, all flights cancelled and Qataris told to leave Gulf countries within 48 hours

SAUDI Arabia and three other Arab states cut diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar yesterday after accusing the small emirate of supporting terrorism and aligning with Iran.

The co-ordinated move by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE plunged the Arab world into one of its most severe diplomatic crises in years and left Qatar both physically and politically isolated.

Saudi Arabia ordered the closure of Qatar’s only land border, sending Qataris panic-buying into supermarkets and raising serious questions over whether it will still be able to host the football World Cup in 2022.

In a statement announcing its decision, Saudi Arabia accused Qatar of “adopting various terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at destabilising the region including the Muslim Brotherhood Group, Daesh [Isil] and al-qaeda”. Western officials have long accused Qatar of arming al-qaeda-linked groups in Libya and Syria although it is less clear that Qatar has supported Isil.

Riyadh also said Qatar had supported Iranian-backed Shia groups in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Yemen and had used media groups such as Al Jazeera to stoke unrest in neighbouring countries.

Qatar’s foreign ministry denied the charges, saying: “The campaign of incitement is based on lies that had reached the level of complete fabrications.”

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar’s maverick leader, infuriated Saudi Arabia with his recent calls for warmer relations with Iran, Saudi’s arch-rival in the Middle East.

The decision led to the immediate cancellation of flights between Qatar and its neighbours and the closure of Saudi airspace to Qatari flights. Qataris living in the Gulf countries were given two weeks to pack up and leave and Qatar’s ambassador to Cairo was told to get out within 48 hours.

The most severe impact is likely to come from the closure of the Saudiqatar land border, which Qatar depends on for about 40 per cent of its food and 98 per cent of its fruits and vegetables. Within hours of the diplo- matic announcement Qataris made a run on supermarkets, leaving behind bare shelves as fears mounted that the country is heading for a food crisis.

“You are talking about huge inflation that is going to hit instantly. The average Qatari will feel this when they go to the supermarket,” said Ghanem Nuseibeh, founder of Cornerstone Global Associates, a political risk firm.

Mr Nuseibeh said that if Qatar’s isolation continued it was unlikely they would be able to go ahead with hosting the 2022 World Cup. “I think it will be very difficult for them. The cost of building materials is going to go through the roof and it may become unfeasible.”

Fifa said it was in “regular contact” with Qatar but had no comment on the diplomatic crisis.

Qatar has played an ambivalent role in the Us-led war on terror. It is home to the al-udeid air base which both the US and UK use for strikes against Isil. But Western officials have been wary of sharing intelligence with Qatar out of fear it would be passed to extremists.

Rex Tillerson, the US secretary of state, said he did not expect the diplomatic flare-up to have an impact on the fight against terrorism.