Doha — Qatar’s economy has been hit by the sanctions imposed by a Saudi-led Arab bloc but the emirate’s economy is strong enough to survive, analysts say. Since June 5, Saudi Arabia and allies Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) shut down air, maritime and land links with Qatar, and imposed economic sanctions, accusing Doha of supporting "terrorists" and of being too close to Iran. Qatar, denying the charges, accuses its Gulf neighbours of seeking to strangle its economy. The heavily air-conditioned malls of Doha, a city in the throes of a more than $200bn construction boom as it aims to make a splash on the world stage by hosting football’s 2022 World Cup, remain busy as ever, as do its roads. To counter the sanctions and trading curbs, ally Turkey and neighbouring Iran have been pouring in food supplies by air and sea. "In the medium to long term, perhaps people who live here will feel" the effects, but for the time being, "we haven’t felt any big difference", said M...
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