Qatar’s response to disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has demonstrated the country’s growing ability to safeguard essential supplies during crises, while also exposing structural vulnerabilities that require long-term investment and regional co-operation, according to a supply chain expert at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q).
Dr Iman Adeinat, an associate teaching professor in the Operations Management Programme at CMU-Q and a member of Qatar Foundation, said the past six months underscored the need to build supply chains that can withstand prolonged disruptions rather than respond to temporary emergencies.
She identified two key dimensions of resilience: operational flexibility, which lets businesses quickly redirect shipments and find alternative suppliers, and structural resilience, which lets supply networks absorb shocks without relying heavily on emergency measures.
While Gulf countries have demonstrated considerable operational flexibility, Adeinat said their continued dependence on critical maritime routes remains a significant vulnerability. Qatar’s ability to keep essential goods flowing despite maritime transport disruptions shows how contingency planning can shield consumers from external shocks.
Businesses and logistics operators responded by moving goods overland through Saudi Arabia, rerouting shipments through Red Sea ports and Oman, and drawing on Qatar’s strategic reserves. These measures helped maintain
the availability of essential goods in domestic markets despite the country’s reliance on imports for a substantial share of its food requirements.
However, the impact on imports and exports has varied.
While alternative routes have helped Qatar secure imported goods, industries dependent on energy-related raw materials and maritime export channels have faced greater exposure to disruption.
This distinction highlights a central challenge for Qatar and its Gulf neighbours: resilience depends not only on maintaining supplies to domestic markets, but also on sustaining industrial production and access to export markets.
Adeinat said one of the crisis’ most important lessons was that Qatari businesses did not simply wait for conditions to improve. Instead, many adjusted their operations assuming disruptions could persist.