Qatar Minister Says Neighbors' Embargo Is Boon for Economy - Bloomberg

Qatar Minister Says Neighbors' Embargo Is Boon for Economy - Bloomberg:

The 15-month embargo of Qatar by Saudi Arabia and three other Arab nations has been a “blessing” for the gas-rich nation’s economy, its economy minister said.

Since the boycott began, Qatari exports have risen 19 percent, while its global trade climbed 16 percent, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Jassim Bin Mohammed Al Thani told Bloomberg in a TV interview in Berlin. Economic growth this year is forecast to be the fastest in the Gulf, at around 2.9 percent, the minister said, citing World Bank estimates.

“The blockade on Qatar from an economic point of view is behind us,” the minister said. “We are doing excellent. In fact, from an economic point of view, it’s a blessing.”