WATCH: 365 days under blockade - what it means for Qatar
The past 365 days have been some of the most transformative in Qatar’s history. Qatar Living caught up with Al Jazeera’s Jamal El Shayyal, an internationally award-winning journalist, who summed up the blockade's impact upon the country in so many words.
As the land, sea and air borders closed, almost completely isolating Qatar, countries like Turkey and Iran stepped up to reach out and support the country economically and politically in a dispute that continues to simmer.
In a bid to completely isolate Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the blockading nations closed their land, sea and air borders off on June 5th, 2017, halting all trade and exchange with the country. Qatar was forced to improvise, but it was not alone. Countries like Turkey and Iran stepped up to reach out and support the country both economically and politically in a dispute that continues to simmer.
Qatar Airways, the national carrier—haled as one of the best airlines in the world—was forced to reroute its flight paths drastically, as 18 of its destinations were closed off with extreme suddenness.
Instead of descending into what could easily have been a very ugly squabble, Qatar has taken the high road in its response to the blockading nations, despite the magnitude and unfairness of events.
The government, instead of opting for a tit for tat approach, has turned tables to make the blockade as positive a phenomenon as possible.
For example, one of the most unfortunate consequences of the blockade is the splitting up of families and the uprooting of Qataris settled in the blockading countries by their governments. In response, instead of sending back residents working, studying and living in Qatar from these nations, Qatar has allowed them to remain.
This staid and positive approach by Qatar has not gone unnoticed by the international community, and has won it support from across the globe.
To better understand the blockade, check out our timeline of siege-related events over the past 12 months.
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