In early June, Saudi Arabia and its allies -- the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt -- sent ripples through financial markets and global diplomatic circles by blacklisting Qatar, accusing the state of sponsoring and nurturing ties with terrorists.
Another five countries in the Middle-East and North Africa have also severed diplomatic ties with Doha, sparking a wider regional crisis and prompting concerns that the tiny gas-rich state is being used as a proxy in a wider battle for regional dominance between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
