Iranian attacks and the disruption of sea crossings have paralyzed Qatar's vital natural gas exports, disrupting the economic development strategy on which the country had relied.
According to a response to the New York Times from Doha, Qatar, a desert peninsula in the Persian Gulf, natural gas transformed the country from a poor economy based on pearl fishing into one of the richest countries in the world.
For three decades, Qatar has steadily built supply networks, transporting tens of billions of dollars of liquefied natural gas through the Strait of Hormuz to ports in Asia and Europe every year.
The state, which derives more than 60% of its revenue from natural gas and related exports, has used these funds to transform the peninsula into a modern metropolis. The desert's dirt roads have given way to imposing corporate skyscrapers, while irrigation systems maintain lush lawns and flower gardens at their base.
The gas wealth has also financed a vast metro network linking the capital, Doha, to the northern city of Lusail, home to European-style shopping malls and theme parks with artificial snow. The proceeds have also been channeled into the most expensive World Cup in history, as well as a $600 billion sovereign wealth fund, with stakes in iconic assets from London's Heathrow Airport to New York's Empire State Building.
But in February, Qatar's "gateway" to the world suddenly closed.
The suspension of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz means that almost no natural gas has left Qatar's shores for more than two months. At the same time, the country has been cut off from the sea routes through which it imports almost everything - from vehicles to agricultural products.
Fears of regional instability have hit tourism, while the business climate has also deteriorated, dealing a serious blow to an economy that had invested in international connectivity and stability as the foundations of its growth, the response to the NYT points out.
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