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Saudi Arabia on Tuesday revoked the operating licence of Qatar Airways and ordered the airline's offices to close within 48 hours, state media reported, as a regional diplomatic crisis escalated.
“The General Authority of Civil Aviation has decided to cancel all licences granted to Qatar Airways and to close all of its offices in the kingdom within 48 hours,” a statement carried by the official SPA news agency said.
Explore: Saudi, Egypt, UAE, Bahrain and Yemen isolate Qatar over 'terrorism' as rift deepens
Saudi Arabia has also closed its border with Qatar, effectively blocking food imports and a segment of the country's exports over what Riyadh says is Doha's support for extremism.
Qatari share prices closed down 7.58 per cent on Monday after five countries ─ Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen and the Maldives ─ announced they were cutting diplomatic ties with the gas-rich emirate.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt announced the suspension of all flights to and from Qatar as of Tuesday morning.
Hours later, Qatar Airways, which flies to nine cities in Saudi Arabia alone, announced it had suspended all flights to Saudi, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt in the wake of the diplomatic boycott.
The Gulf states have also ordered Qataris to leave within 14 days and banned their own citizens from travelling to the emirate.
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Comments (48) Closed
Jun 06, 2017 06:04pm
They are just doing it on USA instructions. Just breaking unity of Muslim countries. Shame on these countries who have isolated another Muslim country.
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Jun 06, 2017 06:18pm
We are our own enemies unfortunately:( we do not need any enemies from outside. Such a sad sad affair
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Jun 06, 2017 06:19pm
Very shameful situation. Why Qatar is behaving like this that all muslim unity is on stake. Either qatar wanna be be shown as a separate Chouhdry. What is it man ? Pakistan must make coalition situation for these out of order arabs.
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Jun 06, 2017 06:23pm
This is a great move by Muslim world in support of anti-terrorism. Qatar needs to stop sponsoring terrorism.
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Jun 06, 2017 06:24pm
Trump visit effects
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Jun 06, 2017 06:25pm
@Sarmad Hassan you have ask Trump first.
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Jun 06, 2017 06:25pm
@Xyz brother "cuz" can you please tell me what have you been smoking and the books you have been reading? Amen
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Jun 06, 2017 06:26pm
Trump visit effects, all Muslim should be united instead of dividing themselves to facets.
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Jun 06, 2017 06:28pm
@Sarmad Hassan Seems like you are blaming Qatar and Im not sure what for? What did Qatar do to deserve this, can you please explain ?
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Jun 06, 2017 06:33pm
@Sarmad Hassan brother sarmsd, you are so right and knowledgeable that I salute you. Qatar airways is a business entity - business interests must be protected regardless of the diplomatic relations so a smooth transition is possible. Saudi's are the big brother, so they can shove whatever they want on to weaker opponents. And few other weaker countries will support this
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Jun 06, 2017 06:38pm
Is Qatar going to be another Iraq or Libiya or Syria?
Does the Saudi King understand the implications of his demented approach to the genuine problems facing all gulf kingdoms.They are all going to be destroyed one by one.Mark my words.
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Jun 06, 2017 06:41pm
Saudis are crazy.....
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Jun 06, 2017 06:44pm
@Sarmad Hassan: If you don't know what is going on in the background better not to put blame on one shoulder.
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Jun 06, 2017 06:47pm
@Sarmad Hassan ,,,,,y qatar,.,,, other countries suspended, ,,not qatar
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Jun 06, 2017 06:47pm
One word. Pathetic.
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Jun 06, 2017 06:50pm
@Sarmad Hassan Qatar is doing right .
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Jun 06, 2017 06:53pm
Trump did what he wanted ....
Isolate Muslims sale huge weapons job his own nation and see how Muslims fight each other..
Weldon trump strategy
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Jun 06, 2017 06:57pm
This is all about to sale the American weapons to Qatar as American are close ally with Qatar as well. Like they scared Saudis from Iran and made a deal of multi billion $ for weapons sale, exactly now they will scar Qatar from neighboring Arab choudharies and will make more bigger deal with Qataries.
Btw, the concept of Muslim Ummah has been officially died now and ultimately the united muslim armies.
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Jun 06, 2017 06:59pm
What a shame! When Muslims do this to their brothers, who are we to complain about others?
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Jun 06, 2017 07:06pm
Very sad situation indeed. Total boycott is never an option as first warning. Arab countries should have a strong bond to sustain economic challenges. What these countries will gain by alienating Qatar that is geographically engulfed between them? Airspace is also closed. At least they think about this holy month.
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Jun 06, 2017 07:10pm
Saudi arabia is counting on the brutal dictator Sisi.
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Jun 06, 2017 07:13pm
I think Israel told to UAE/Saudis that if you want our help against Iran you need to single out Qatar because it is helping Hamas and Turkey
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Jun 06, 2017 07:14pm
@niaz As usual you guys got habit of blaming others for your problem. Trump was not there in 2014 when similar situation occurred where diplomatic ties were cut with Qatar for 10 months. But then again that also you can blame someone else instead of countries involved in situation.
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Jun 06, 2017 07:35pm
@Sarmad Hassan Sadly it is Saudi Arabia that is in control of western masters. Qatar has been the supporter for Taliban for a long time and they even have an office over there. West has used Qatar against Iraq and used it as a base. As for KSA, they continue to pursue the extremist doctrines in the region - 80% of Yemen is razed now due to bombs thrown by Saudi coalition. Ummah was broken on the day when Saltanat e Usmania (Ootoman Caliphate) finished
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Jun 06, 2017 07:39pm
Qatat Airways has over a dozen flights a day just to the US alone. Saudi action is not going to be a big dent on this airline.
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Jun 06, 2017 07:43pm
Saudi Arabia - the worst leader of Arab world.
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Jun 06, 2017 07:43pm
Arabs have played into the hands of the Imperial Powers and the Zionists before.
50 Years ago today, they lost Jerusalem to the Israelis and suffered a humiliating defeat - in the hope that Western powers will come to their aid.
50 Years later they are busy defeating, undermining and insulting each other, at the instructions of the Pro-Israeli and American groups, hoping to win the good graces of Donald Trump to strangle Iran. Yet they foolishly spend huge sums on Western Arms, though unable to fight a single war with a real enemy on their own.
I have no doubt that out of all this mess, Iran and Qatar are going to forge a closer alliance and prevail over all the ignorant Arab regimes who are playing into the hands of their puppet masters.
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Jun 06, 2017 07:44pm
This is very strange behavior. Even India and Pakistan do not behave this way despite having a true territorial dispute and history of 4 wars.
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Jun 06, 2017 07:46pm
I request General Raheel Shareef to bring back unity.. Use his influence as head of Islamic army alliance ..General Bajwa should talk to the heads of state and offer Pakistan can mediate due to our close brotherly relations with ummah .. arabs love Pakistanis and will listen to us ..
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Jun 06, 2017 07:56pm
Instead of condemning, and just as we look and try find causes, why a pelter pelts and find excuses,---Let's be honest.....find the cause first, please........
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Jun 06, 2017 08:01pm
So this is what Trump and all visited Saudi for. Qatar airways and Al JAzeera needed to be shut down and the best way to do it was to use its cronies UAE and Saudi and Egypt...
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Jun 06, 2017 08:02pm
@Sarmad Hassan oh, so you felt muslims were united.. look around, half of the arab countries are in ruins and mejority of residents are euther in camps or migrated, i am talking about Syria, iraq, lybia, yaman and afghanistan.
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Jun 06, 2017 08:30pm
Can a country block food supplies of another country's population just because it doesnt agree with it on certain geopolitical issues? Pakistan has more reason to block access to Afghanistan if this is how it is going to be like from here on.
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Jun 06, 2017 08:47pm
What else can it do under the prevailing diplomatic boycott of the state of Qatar?
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Jun 06, 2017 08:50pm
International Relationa among the countries are dictated by mutual.interests and diplomacy. Religion plays no role in establishing or maintaining these relationship. The concept of Muslim Ummah stands fadedaway and has no bearings on new world order.
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Jun 06, 2017 08:50pm
Pot calling kettle black!!!
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Jun 06, 2017 08:57pm
This is unprecedented and bit childish on part of the Saudis. It's like throwing the toys out of the pram. Even the USA and Soviet Union didn't do this nonsense at the height of cold war.
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Jun 06, 2017 09:08pm
Saudia is really following on trump track. This is really disturbing news. Dont know if sharif brothers would like to cut ties with qataris due to panama letter. They have to choose either saudis or qataris.
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Jun 06, 2017 09:10pm
Qatar Ariways and Emirates each operate more flights and cover bigger network of destinations around the world, than all the Saudi Airlines combined. .
All these silly moves are nothing but inconsequential. Saudis and Emirates have resented the rapid rise of Qatar on the International scene, with a thriving airline competing with Emirates. More foreign universities in Doha, the Guggenheim Museum, the 2022 FIFA Cup being held in Doha. the political and financial clout enjoyed by Qatar and Qatar refusing to play the Sunni-Shia divisive game being orchestrated by Saudis.
These moves in fact have opened bigger opportunity for Iran to have even closer relations with Qatar and vise-versa.
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Jun 06, 2017 09:12pm
Does Al Qaeda, IS and 9/11 Hijackers ring any bells, for the Emirates and Saudis?
None of these groups or terrorist originated from either Iran or Qatar.
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Jun 06, 2017 09:28pm
King has lost its mind.
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Jun 06, 2017 09:37pm
Very sad situation..making people go hungry..blocking food imports.....tat too in ramadan..and people also support the countries doing it..
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Jun 06, 2017 09:53pm
@ Akram...Right, Even IND and PAK do not behave like this....
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Jun 06, 2017 09:55pm
@Chaya Kahn : Yes, you are right. Qatar is next Iraq followed by UAE. You will see that.
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Jun 06, 2017 09:59pm
Master stroke by Trump. Now he doesn't have to disintegrate the middle-east himself. The ME would do it on its own. Saudia just got an ego-boost due to Trump, and now they will forget who are its friends, and who aren't.
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Jun 06, 2017 10:25pm
This is real stupid thing to do...not sure where these Arabs are heading..
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Jun 07, 2017 07:46am
@Qaiser doing right and getting wrong ??
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Jun 09, 2017 01:27pm
@Salman Hakim What brothers? Try telling this to a Pakistani taxi driver in Dubai.
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