The split was announced on Monday – and includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – when the countries cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terror groups including the Muslim Brotherhood and interfering in its internal affairs.
The University of Johannesburg’s Department of Religion Studies head, Professor Farid Esack
:
While the deterioration in relations has been steady for a while, the rapidity and the extent of the current breakdown is surprising. I attribute this to the speed of the Trump’s administration embrace of Saudi Arabia and the isolation of Iran.
Qatar has always had a more pragmatic relationship with Iran, while Saudi Arabia’s is driven both by its view of Iran as a major political rival, but more important, Saudi Arabia’s intense commitment to Wahabi sectarianism.
Wahabism is an austere interpretation of Islam that is at the heart of Muslim fundamentalism – including the Taliban and Islamic State.
There are no significant consequences for South Africa which has rather limited trade relations with all of these countries.
At a deeper level though, South Africa will be alarmed at the gutsiness of more politically conservative forces in the region.
Qatar, small it is, is no pushover. In terms of GDP, public relations and above all the presence of the very independent Al Jazeera, have enabled it to punch above its weight.
Lecturer at the Department of Tourism Management at the Tshwane University of Technology
:
The rapid growth of the Gulf Carriers has been driven by promoting transit tourism, where customers would use the Gulf Carriers and then additional stop-over at the Gulf airports from Dubai to Doha. The diplomatic standoff means that Doha will be starved from the much needed transit tourists.
The direct flight linkages between the Gulf and King Shaka International Airport, may be curtailed by this diplomatic standoff, robbing Durban of valuable aviation traffic from the Gulf. This happens at possibly the worst time, when South Africa must be growing its share of Muslim tourism during the Donald Trump era.