Egypt: Diplomatic and transportation links to Qatar cut June 5

Event

Egypt has announced the severance of all diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday, June 5, as part of a Saudi-led initiative to isolate the country. The Egyptian government has also stated that all travel to Qatar would be suspended indefinitely.  Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia, and FlyDubai, have all announced the indefinite suspension of flights to Qatar starting Tuesday, June 6.

Qatari residents and visitors in Egypt have been given two weeks to leave the country.

Context

Egypt has long resented Qatar's alleged support for groups such as the Egyptian-based Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic State (IS), among others. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly accused the country of broadcasting militant ideology, a reference to Qatar's state-owned media network, Al Jazeera. Qatar allegedly used Al Jazeera to promote the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011, a move which threatened many of the Gulf monarchies, and fueled the overthrow of the then Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak.

Qatar has also been heavily criticized for forging a relationship with Iran, considered by many Arab countries as a dangerous enemy.

Advice

Travelers flying to, from, or through Qatar from Egypt are advised to confirm their flights and to contact their airlines for more information.