SINGAPORE: Saudi Arabia and key allies on Monday cut ties with Qatar, the world’s top seller of liquefied natural gas (LNG), stoking concern over any supply disruptions to neighbouring countries spilling over into global gas markets.

Saudi Arabia, along with the United Arab Emirates and Egypt — both highly reliant on Qatari gas via pipeline and LNG — and Bahrain said they would sever all ties including transport links with Qatar, an escalation on past diplomatic spats. Qatar supplies roughly a third of global LNG.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who accompanied President Donald Trump on his trip to Saudi Arabia last month, was CEO of Exxon Mobil — Qatar’s key Western partner in building its giant LNG export plants.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2017