Qatar warns of potential halt to Gulf energy exports as regional conflict threatens global economic stability

Qatar’s Energy Minister warns of a potential global economic collapse and 150 dollar oil if Gulf energy exports are halted by ongoing regional conflict.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 6, 2026, 3:00 PM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Anadolu Agency

Risk of total export suspension

Qatar Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi issued a stark warning on Friday regarding the viability of Gulf energy exports amid ongoing regional hostilities. During an interview with the Financial Times, the minister stated that if the current conflict continues for several weeks, all exporters in the Gulf region will likely be forced to activate force majeure clauses. Such a development would effectively suspend contractual obligations for energy deliveries across the globe, as security risks make standard shipping operations untenable.

Projected impact on global pricing

The potential cessation of exports is expected to trigger a dramatic surge in global energy costs. Al-Kaabi projected that oil prices could reach 150 dollars per barrel, while gas prices might climb to 40 dollars per million thermal units. These price spikes would create a chain of negative reactions for international manufacturing, as factories find themselves unable to secure necessary supplies or afford the rising costs of production.

Disruption of maritime trade routes

Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has already seen a sharp decline as a direct result of the conflict. While approximately 20 million barrels of oil typically transit the strait daily, current reports indicate that hundreds of vessels are waiting on both sides of the passage due to escalating security concerns. This bottleneck has significantly hindered the movement of energy products even before a total regional halt is officially declared by all neighboring exporters.