Saudi Arabia to build new canal making Qatar a literal island

The plan will cost an estimated $745 million

From behind: Doha, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (Credit: StellarD/Wikimedia Commons)
From behind: Doha, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (Credit: StellarD/Wikimedia Commons)

Saudi Arabia’s blockade of Qatar is reaching a new depth.

Saudi has proposed a 38-mile canal, to be named “Salwa Channel,” and invited five international firms to propose designs for the new body of water, according to the Washington Post. The deadline for proposals is Monday.

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The canal will be deep enough to allow ships to sail through it and will span 50 feet in width. The location of the canal is about 0.6 miles away from the two countries’ shared border, meaning the project will be executed solely by Saudi.

Construction is estimated to last less than a year and comes as Saudi and its regional allies have maintained a boycott of Qatar for over a year. [WP]Erin Hudson