Six Middle East countries namely the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen, Egypt and Libya have severed diplomatic ties with Qatar whom they accuse of supporting terrorism and undermining the stability of the region. The Maldives, a predominantly Muslim state on the Arabian Sea has also announced severance of all relations with Qatar.

The countries have given Qatari diplomats 48 hours to leave their countries while giving their diplomats the same ultimatum to leave Qatar. Other citizens of Qatar in their countries were given two weeks to go back to their country.

All the countries who are isolating Qatar say she “supports, funds and embraces  terrorist, extremist and sectarian organizations.” They accuse her of working with Iran to cause instability in the Middle East.

The Saudi government in a public statement said she decided to severe consular and diplomatic relations with Qatar in “exercise of its sovereign law and protection of national security from the dangers of terrorism and extremism.”

Saudi Arabia has announced that in keeping with its new policy on Qatar, she has closed all land, air and sea contacts with Qatar which is home to a major United States military base and urged all ” brotherly countries” in the region to do the same.

Bahrain, a close ally of Saudi Arabia, has also cut all air and sea contacts with Qatar and given its citizens in Qatar 14 days to vacate the country.

Egypt’s state news agency said the country severed ties with Qatar  after  accusing the oil-rich nation of supporting “terrorist” organizations including the Muslim Brotherhood, adding that “all attempts to stop Qatar from supporting terrorist groups failed.”

Although these countries have made no demands from Qatar, their decision may seriously affect several sectors globally and many analysts believe this may ignite another major crisis in the Gulf region.

Apart from being host to a major US military base, she is a major player in the global oil scene. She is the world’s highest producer of liquefied petroleum gas. Saudi Arabia’s severance of air links with Qatar means that Qatar Airways, one of the world’s biggest airlines will find its operations to other parts of the world very difficult and expensive since Saudi Arabia was its major operational hub in the Middle East.

Qatar, which is scheduled to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup has criticized the allegations against her “as unfounded”, “lies” and the result of  well-orchestrated propaganda against her. She says her government will not cease from running the country as a sovereign state and that the action against her will not affect her citizens.

“The Qatari government will take all necessary measures to ensure this and to thwart attempts to influence and harm the Qatari society and economy,” the Qatari Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

Latest reports say Qatar Airways has resorted to flying through Iranian airspace, even as Etihad and Emirates have announced that they would suspend flights to Qatar.