Flying cows: a milk-minded businessman sees opportunity in Qatar blockade
Doha/Beirut — Call it the biggest bovine airlift in history. The showdown between Qatar and its neighbours has disrupted trade, split families and threatened to alter long-standing geopolitical alliances. It has also prompted one Qatari businessman to fly 4,000 cows to the Gulf desert in an act of resistance and opportunity to fill the void left by a collapse in the supply of fresh milk. It will take as many as 60 flights for Qatar Airways to deliver the 590kg animals that Moutaz Al Khayyat, chairman of Power International Holding, bought in Australia and the US. "This is the time to work for Qatar," he said. Led by Saudi Arabia, Qatar stands accused of supporting Islamic militants, charges the sheikhdom has repeatedly denied. The isolation, which started on June 5, has forced the world’s richest country by capita to open new trade routes to import food, building materials and equipment for its natural gas industry. The central bank says domestic and international transactions are r...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.