Following strip searches of Australian women at Doha Airport, Qatar closes lamb trade with Australia

Qatar has taken steps to shut down the $300 million-a-year lamb trade with Australia in what some see as another retaliation, after the Morrison government raised concerns over invasive searches of Australian women travellers at Doha's Hamad International Airport in October.

In a shock move, Qatar government-controlled Widam Food Company notified markets that Qatar would cease subsidising Australian fresh and chilled meat from the end of the year.

Karim Nol, the boss of Sydney-headquartered Al-Karim Exports, said Qatar was one of Australia's biggest and most important markets and the trade disruption had come without warning.

"For five years everything was going fine, all sweet, and then overnight it is cancelled," he said.

The Qatar government has subsidised Australian lamb imports since 2015 but suddenly cancelled the long-standing agreement effective from December 31 even though it was not due to expire until the end of 2023.

Strip search and abandoned baby

Regarding the strip searches, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) called the treatment of the women offensive and grossly inappropriate.

Qatar later carried out an investigation into the abandoned baby found at the airport and has found its parents. The airport officers involved now face jail but the women are yet to receive an official apology from the Qatar authorities following the traumatic experience they had at Doha's Hamad International Airport.

The strip search event provided anothee opportunity to probe into the reality relating to poor Human Rights protection in Qatar and although there has been several reports by Human Rights groups including Amnesty International, there are no plans to bring the 2022 FIFA World Cup host to account.