The protected streets of Qatar are a giant draw for overseas employees, who take pleasure in tax-free incomes and the Gulf’s delicate winter climate. However on Monday night, a volley of Iranian missiles heading for a US navy base burst that comfy bubble.
The sound of explosions — shaking home windows and activating emergency sirens — triggered panic inside Doha’s plush Villaggio Mall. Shrieks crammed the cavernous corridor and consumers bolted for exits. Video footage confirmed a black shoe deserted within the hurry. Throughout the normally tranquil metropolis, dad and mom comforted kids frightened by the blasts.
Amongst hundreds of thousands of cellular expatriates who energy the oil-rich area’s economies and make up about half the Gulf’s inhabitants, Iran’s assault on Qatar has prompted questions on security in nations lengthy thought to be oases of prosperity and safety in a troubled area.
The area’s overseas workforce ranges from well-paid finance and vitality executives to blue-collar employees primarily from South Asia, who construct the nations’ infrastructure and preserve them working.
Many overseas employees are phlegmatic. Some are battle-tested by earlier assaults by Iran-aligned Yemeni Houthi rebels and different proxies on vitality infrastructure in 2019 and 2022, which struck Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, or by the regional boycott of Qatar throughout Donald Trump’s first time period.
However the Gulf’s inhabitants has swelled in recent times. For a lot of newcomers, that is their first expertise of a Center East conflict — even when not directly.
“The response is determined by how lengthy you’ve been within the area,” mentioned a banker based mostly within the UAE. “A number of the newer individuals, even in Dubai, have been like ‘oh my god, this isn’t what I signed up for’.”
Since Israel attacked Iran lower than two weeks in the past, the Gulf monarchies have pushed for an finish to hostilities and return to talks. They hoped to keep away from wider regional escalation and keep away from being caught within the crossfire on account of the a number of US navy installations in Gulf states.
Iran’s strikes on Monday concentrating on the US’s largest navy base within the area got here in retaliation for US assaults on its nuclear infrastructure.
Later within the day, Trump introduced that Iran and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire, which appeared to take maintain on Tuesday after the US president rebuked the 2 nations for alleged violations.
The Iranian missiles that ripped by way of Qatar’s sky had largely been intercepted by air defences, inflicting no casualties.
But when this was a show of navy theatrics, “I want the protected £200-a-ticket, inaccessible to common individuals, London kind of theatre”, quipped one expatriate Doha resident on Monday evening.
The temper on Tuesday morning was “tense however relieved”, mentioned a Palestinian-British-Canadian expatriate in Doha. Through the assault he mentioned his response was “WTF” however by the morning he felt safe, happy at how the federal government had maintained providers resembling web and electrical energy.
On social media, some residents referred to as the evening’s occasions insignificant in contrast with Israeli bombing that has flattened Gaza.
However one senior British expatriate based mostly in Doha for 20 years mentioned his friends have been “pretty shell-shocked”.
“Thankfully the US base is properly out of city,” he added. “Nonetheless, not very nice to undergo, and the long run uncertainty is little doubt on all people’s thoughts.”
A number of organisations despatched emails telling employees that Tuesday can be a standard working day, and the senior expatriate anticipated most staff to point out up.
In Dubai, the area’s second-biggest metropolis after Riyadh, some expatriates had already deliberate out overland escape routes to Oman. At one firm, staff on a safety name requested for plans to evacuate, however have been rebuffed.
WhatsApp teams buzzed with expats questioning the security of staying within the area through the unpredictable Trump period, and a few expatriates even dubbed Europe-bound flights by way of the Gulf as navigating “missile alley”.
However many foreigners have been sanguine, with their fundamental concern the disruption to aviation and its potential to delay or derail summer time vacation plans.
“There’s some degree of panic amongst residents given summer time holidays,” mentioned a Dubai-based company investigator.
“The first threat stays air journey disruption,” mentioned Nigel Lea, an impartial threat guide. “Loads of firms are proscribing journey to the Center East, however once more due to the associated fee and inconvenience of delays, and folks getting caught.”
Phil Miles, affiliate managing director for enterprise safety threat administration at adviser Kroll, mentioned some purchasers had already “postponed non-essential journey to the area and are offering employees with elevated flexibility to make money working from home”.
Some professionals mentioned they felt assured the Gulf would undergo little to no financial influence.
“There was no disruption to vitality flows, plus the ceasefire was introduced so shortly — these are all constructive,” mentioned Monica Malik, chief economist at Abu Dhabi Industrial Financial institution. “We’re additionally within the quieter journey and tourism interval for the area. So we’re not making any non-oil forecast modifications.”
For one Dubai-based economist, “the Saudi financial slowdown issues extra within the Gulf than all of the drama of the previous few days”.
However not all are satisfied. Gaffour, a limousine driver in Doha, has seen enterprise plummet for the reason that World Cup in 2022, and fears additional financial decline on account of the rising geopolitical tensions.
“There nonetheless isn’t any enterprise,” he mentioned. “All my pals are anxious.”
