Qatar-Egypt trade ties still in effect despite diplomatic rift: official

The recent diplomatic rift between Egypt and Qatar will not undermine the bilateral trade relations between the two countries, a senior government official told Amwal Al Ghad on Wednesday.

Several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Emirates, Bahrain, Yemen, and Egypt have on Monday severed diplomatic relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting and financing terrorism in the region.

There were no directives from the government to review any of Egypt’s common economic and trade agreements with Qatar, including the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA), Saeed Abdullah, head of the foreign trade and trade agreements department at the Egyptian Trade Ministry said.

The authorities in Egypt are keen not to see the economic relations with Qatar disturbed by the current political rift, Abdullah added.