In a stunning move, seven Muslim countries—Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Yemen, and the Maldives—have severed ties to Qatar, a small nation of about 2.7 million people on the north-east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The crisis underscores the deep divisions running even within Sunni Islam that are often overlooked by the West, which tends to view the Muslim world through the dichotomous prism of Sunni and Shia. 

These countries accuse Qatar of sponsoring terrorism, which is to say, primarily, Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood held power briefly in Egypt following the 2011 Revolution before being overthrown in a coup led by General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. They are active in many of the seven aforementioned countries.

Qatar also funds Al Jazeera, the widely-watched news channel known for supporting political Islamism and for critiquing the regimes controlling Saudi Arabia and other countries. And Qatar has been criticized for maintaining some ties with Iran, Saudi Arabia’s chief rival in the region. Recently, the Qatari government paid a $1B ransom to jihadists and Iranian security officials to secure the release of captured Qatari nationals.

Now, diplomats are being expelled and ties cut. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE have closed all transport links by air, land, and sea. Doha, the capital of Qatar, is a major international flight hub, and airspace restrictions are already taking an economic toll. Qatar’s planes must now take longer routes to by-pass Saudi Arabia. Since Qatar, while wealthy through oil, is mainly resource-poor, residents have begun stockpiling food.

But what does this mean for architecture? Qatar is currently in the midst of a building boom in preparation for hosting the World Cup in 2022. Now, with the borders to Saudi Arabia closed, construction materials will be difficult to come by. In fact, the Cup itself may not even happen.

Facilities for the World Cup not yet or still under construction include: the Lusail Iconic Stadium by Foster + Partners; the Sports City Stadium by Dan Meis; the Education City Stadium by DR. Omar Jamal, SENSI Moe and Sons, Dr. Demonichaos (Wareface CO.); and the Al-Shamal Stadium, the Saoud bin Abdulrahman Stadium, the Doha Port Stadium, and the Umm Salal Stadium, all designed by Albert Speer Jr., 

Other major architecture projects may also be threatened, including the recently-announced “Art Mill” designed by Alejandro Aravena. The National Museum of Qatar, designed by Jean Nouvel, is currently under construction and may also be affected by the diplomatic row.

In the past, architecture projects in Qatar have also been scrutinized for unethical construction practices. The Qatari state is considered one of the worst human rights abusers int he world. Hundreds of thousands of South Asian migrant workers are violently exploited and forced into conditions of involuntary and dangerous servitude, often on building sites. They are beaten, denied payment, and prevented from leaving the country. Hundreds die each year. Head over here for more on this.