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Qatar: panic buying as shoppers stockpile food due to Saudi 'blockade' Kuwait seeks to calm crisis as Arab nations cut ties with Qatar
(about 9 hours later)
Shoppers in Doha were taking no chances despite Qatari officials telling citizens not to panic after Saudi Arabia imposed a de facto food blockade. Kuwait is trying to mediate in the Gulf crisis in which Arab countries have cut diplomatic ties to Qatar and moved to isolate the kingdom from the outside world, Qatar’s foreign minister said on Tuesday.
Qatar shares its only land border with Saudi Arabia and relies heavily on importing food, much of it from Gulf countries. The row is the biggest diplomatic crisis in the Persian Gulf since the 1991 US-led war against Iraq and has seen shoppers in Doha panic buying food and other supplies after Saudi Arabia imposed a de facto blockade.
Arab nations including Saudi Arabia and Egypt on Monday cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremism, in the biggest diplomatic crisis to hit the region in years. Qatar – an energy-rich travel hub – shares its only land border with Saudi Arabia and relies heavily on importing food, much of it from Gulf countries.
Multiple queues up to 25-people deep formed in Carrefour supermarket in Doha’s City Center mall, one of the busiest shopping areas in the Qatari capital, hours after five Arab states cut diplomatic ties with the kingdom. Queues up to 25 people deep formed in the Carrefour supermarket in Doha’s City Center mall, one of the busiest shopping areas in the Qatari capital, hours after five Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, cut diplomatic ties with the kingdom, accusing it of supporting extremism.
Shoppers piled trollies and baskets high and shelves were stripped of essentials such as milk, rice and chicken.Shoppers piled trollies and baskets high and shelves were stripped of essentials such as milk, rice and chicken.
Massive, MASSIVE, queues in Doha's main supermarket, no chicken or milk left (it's 4.18pm). #QatarCrisis Everyone stocking up.Massive, MASSIVE, queues in Doha's main supermarket, no chicken or milk left (it's 4.18pm). #QatarCrisis Everyone stocking up.
Among the hundreds of shoppers desperately searching for staple goods was Azir, a Sri Lankan who went to the store when relatives called him from home after watching the news on television.Among the hundreds of shoppers desperately searching for staple goods was Azir, a Sri Lankan who went to the store when relatives called him from home after watching the news on television.
“I was asleep. My family phoned me and woke me up from Sri Lanka,” he said, his trolley full of nappies for his 18-month-old child. “I was asleep. My family phoned me and woke me up from Sri Lanka,” he said, his trolley full of nappies for his 18-month-old child. “I came because of the crisis.”
“I came because of the crisis.” Ernest, from Lebanon, said he knew he had to go shopping because others would rush to the stores. “It’s a cycle of panic and I needed to get pasta,” he said, as he shopped with his young family – pushing two trollies.
Qatar imports goods such as chicken from Saudi Arabia, and locals quickly took to social media on Monday to complain they would have to eat poultry from Oman instead. On Tuesday, in an interview with Doha-based news network al-Jazeera, Qatar’s foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said Kuwait’s ruler had asked Qatar’s ruling emir to delay giving a speech about the crisis late on Monday night.
Ernest, from Lebanon, said he knew he had to go shopping because others would rush to the shops. “He received a call from the emir of Kuwait asking him to postpone it in order to give time to solve the crisis,” Al Thani said.
“It’s a cycle of panic and I needed to get pasta,” he said, as he shopped with his young family – pushing not one but two trollies. The state-run Kuwait News Agency reported that its ruler, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, spoke with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on Monday evening and urged him to give a chance to efforts that could ease tensions. The call came after a senior Saudi royal arrived in Kuwait with a message from the Saudi king.
The story was the same across town at one of the several Monoprix stores, where staff said it had been one of the busiest days at work they had known. Qatar has denied funding extremists, though western officials have accused it of allowing or even encouraging funding of Sunni extremists such as al-Qaida’s branch in Syria, once known as the Nusra Front.
In the nearby Al-Meera supermarket, shoppers again packed the store, including Denis from Germany who was convinced that the crisis was just a temporary storm. The crisis could also hit exports, including goods such as machinery, electronic equipment or livestock transported by road to Saudi Arabia.
“This is just a yellow card,” he said of the country due to host football’s 2022 World Cup. According to the United Nations, Qatari exports to Saudi Arabia totalled $896m (£693m) in 2015.
“What can they do? It is one of the richest countries in the world.”
To try to avoid widespread panic-buying, Qatar’s government issued a statement claiming that shipping routes and airspace remained open for imports.
The “Qatari Government will take all necessary measures to ... thwart attempts to influence and harm the Qatari society and economy,” the statement said.
One sector of the economy which could be badly hurt is exports, including goods such as machinery, electronic equipment or livestock transported by road to Saudi Arabia.
According to the United Nations, Qatari exports to Saudi Arabia totalled $896m (€796m) in 2015.
The severing of ties is also potentially bad news for the service industry, including hotels and cab drivers in Doha.The severing of ties is also potentially bad news for the service industry, including hotels and cab drivers in Doha.
Saudis usually flock to Qatar on holiday during Eid al-Fitr at the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. Saudis usually flock to Qatar on holiday during Eid al-Fitr at the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. But with a travel ban now imposed by Riyadh, takings could be down for many south Asian cab drivers who rely heavily on tourists.
But with a travel ban now imposed by Riyadh, takings could be down for many south Asian cab drivers who rely heavily on tourists.
“This is very bad news, very bad news,” said Raihan, a driver from India. “All Saudis come here for Eid.”“This is very bad news, very bad news,” said Raihan, a driver from India. “All Saudis come here for Eid.”
Qatar Airways, one of the region’s major long-haul carriers, has suspended all flights to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain until further notice. On its website, the carrier said the suspension of its flights would take effect on Tuesday and customers are being offered a refund.
The route between Doha and Dubai is popular with business passengers and both are major transit hubs for travellers between Asia and Europe. FlightRadar24, an airplane tracking website, said Qatar Airways flights had already been affected.
“Many of Qatar Airways’ flights to southern Europe and Africa pass through Saudi Arabia,” the site said. “Flights to Europe will most likely be rerouted through Iran and Turkey.”