Qatar keeps on keeping on
With the energy sector operating normally, the country is adjusting to life under sanctions
These are the best of times and the worst of times for Qatar's national air carrier. While Qatar Airways has been forced by the Saudi-led economic embargo to give up a number of its lucrative routes in the region, others are thriving. In particular, services linking Doha and Kuwait are in particular demand. Qataris and others wanting to reach Saudi Arabia or the UAE have no choice but to change planes in Kuwait; and Saudis and Emiratis have to do the same to reach Qatar. The change in flight patterns, like other effects of the embargo imposed in early June 2017, are becoming part of normal life. Inconvenient, but not life-threatening. Of prime importance is that liquefied natural gas exports
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy






