Maghreb Edition

Egypt: first commercial flight from Qatar to Egypt in three and a half yearsF

Posted On 18 January 2021

Number of times this article was read : 522

The first direct flights since 2017 between Qatar and its former rivals Egypt and the UAE took to the skies on Monday, following the end of a regional crisis. Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) joined Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in cutting ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of being too close to Iran and of backing Islamic extremists, charges Doha denies. The quartet agreed to heal the rift at a Gulf summit on January 5 in Saudi Arabia, after a flurry of diplomatic activity by outgoing US President Donald Trump’s administration.

The first commercial flight from Qatar to Egypt in three and a half years, an EgyptAir service to Cairo, took off from windswept Doha airport. It was followed shortly after by the arrival of an Air Arabia flight from Sharjah in the UAE.

The resumption of flights from Doha to Cairo will simplify travel for the large contingent of Egyptians living in Qatar. As many as 300,000 Egyptians call Qatar home, according to official statistics, but many were unable to travel home during the crisis. In May 2020, frustrated Egyptians protested outside the compound housing Egypt’s then-empty embassy.

Following the demonstration, 18 repatriation flights operated via neutral Oman to comply with Cairo’s ban on direct air traffic. A Qatar Airways plane was due to also make the trip to Cairo later Monday. Flights between Doha and Saudi Arabia, which has also opened its land border to Qatar, resumed on January 11. The row complicated regional travel, divided families and raised costs faced by Qatari businesses.

Mustafa Ahmed, 38, an Egyptian technical engineer, said he was “very happy”. “With direct flights, life will be easier, especially for families and children, avoiding the torment of changing airports and planes and waiting for hours for transit flights,” he told AFP. Egyptians in Qatar work in a number of sectors including education, healthcare and engineering. Thousands of Qatar’s majority-expatriate workforce, however, have lost their jobs as a result of a downturn caused by the coronavirus epidemic.

AFP

Subscribe to Urgent Notifications and Newsletter

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Morocco Becomes Africa’s Top-Ranked Industrial Economy$

Morocco has become Africa’s leading industrial economy, followed by South Africa and Egypt. The African Development Bank (AfDB) ranked Tunisia fourth, reinforcing North Africa’s position as one of the continent’s principal industrial regions. The AfDB’s 2025 Africa Industrialization Index placed Morocco ahead of South Africa as Africa’s highest-ranked industrial economy.

Algerian Gas Exports to Europe Rise for Fourth Consecutive Month$

Algeria continued to expand natural gas exports to Europe during the first four months of 2026, benefiting from steady pipeline deliveries to key markets including Spain and Italy. While Europe’s gas market continues shifting toward LNG imports, Algeria has maintained its position as one of the continent’s leading pipeline suppliers through a combination of established infrastructure, long-term contracts, and growing LNG activity.

North African Countries Among World’s Cheapest for Gasoline, Lead Global Rankings$

North African countries currently rank among the cheapest places in the world to buy gasoline, according to international price data published in late April 2026. The global average pump price for gasoline stood at around $1.49 per liter, while several North African producers were charging less than half that level. Libya, Algeria and Egypt all sit among the most affordable markets globally — though two non-African countries, Venezuela and Iran, rank between Libya and the rest of the African group in the worldwide table.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.