(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Doha- Qatar on Monday announced it had launched direct shipping services to ports in Oman, a move that bypasses a Gulf 'blockade' on a country largely dependent on food imports.
Qatar's port authority announced the launch of two new services from Hamad Port to Oman's Sohar and Salalah ports, circumventing the need for cargo to stop in the neighbouring United Arab Emirates.
The UAE had for decades served as a central stopping point in cargo shipments.
Qatar's Hamad Port is 420 nautical miles from Sohar Port and 1,131 nautical miles from Salalah.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain are among several countries which last week announced the suspension of all ties to Qatar over what they say is the state's support for extremist groups and its political proximity to Iran.
Qatar denies the allegations.
The emirate is the world's largest producer and exporter of liquified natural gas, but the wealthy emirate also relies heavily on imports for food staples and raw materials.
Analysts estimate that at least 40 per cent of all of Qatar's food supplies are transported across its land border with Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh last week closed the Qatari peninsula's only land border, threatening the import of both fresh food and raw materials needed to complete a US$200bn infrastructure project for the 2022 football World Cup.
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