Qatar has been engaged in a diplomatic crisis with its neighbours since 2017. Amid the escalating tensions, Saudi Arabia has proposed a canal stretching all the way along the border with Qatar – turning the peninsula into an island.

Io Herodotus [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The tendering process was supposed to take place last year, but I cannot find anything in the news about the progress of this project. I don’t think there have been any genuine attempts to turn a peninsula into an island as a diplomatic move before, although the Corinth Canal in Greece has arguably turned the Peloponesse into an island too.

• Salwa Canal
• Corinth Canal

Categories: Middle East Places Politics & law

The Generalist

I live in Auckland, New Zealand, and am curious about most things.