Reactions to Qatar Emir’s speech range from pride to disdain

Shabina Khatri
Jul 22, 2017 · 1 min read
Locals tune into Emir’s speech. Credit: Via @_mahaalmarri

Twitter erupted with opinions last night following Sheikh Tamim’s first address to the nation about the Gulf dispute.

Many in Qatar responded enthusiastically to the Emir’s call to use the crisis as a wakeup call to step up and diversify the economy.

Reactions elsewhere

But in Saudi Arabia and other boycotting nations, the speech was less well-received.

The polarized reaction shows that even though the quartet has downscaled their demands and Qatar said it is willing to talk, much damage has already been done.

Many cultural taboos have been broken during the boycott, including the big one of not shaming or criticizing each other publicly.

The fallout of expelling Qatari students studying in neighboring countries and forcing families apart will also likely not be forgotten anytime soon.

If and when the dispute is resolved, Qatar will still be pursuing legal compensation for these actions.

As one Al Jazeera journalist said yesterday:

15) One thing is for sure: the societal damage will last far longer that the #GCCCrisis (even if resolved soon, which is unlikely).

— Abdurahman Warsame (@abdu) July 21, 2017

Thoughts?

Doha News

Covering breaking news, politics, business, culture and life in and around Qatar since 2009.

Shabina Khatri

Written by

Journalist, editor, story-teller.

Doha News

Doha News

Covering breaking news, politics, business, culture and life in and around Qatar since 2009.

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