Qatar launches WTO complaint against trade boycott

© Paul Cowan

As the embargo placed by its neighbours nears the two-month mark, Qatar has filed a “wide-ranging” legal complaint to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to challenge the boycott. Director of the WTO Qatar office Ali Alwaleed al-Thani told Reuters: “We’ve given sufficient time to hear the legal explanations on how these measures are in compliance with their commitments, to no satisfactory result.” As such, Qatar has requested consultations with three of the four Arab countries to have cut diplomatic and transport ties with the county, namely Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Mr al-Thani said Qatar remained “hopeful” the consultations could “bear fruit” in resolving the issue.