That's one gigantic FU

[Hawkmoon]

https://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabia-moves-ahead-with-salwa-canal-plan-1.2238965

Saudi Arabia wants to build a canal that will turn Qatar (which is a peninsula) into an island.

The canal will be 1 km on the Saudi side of the border. What to do with that 1 km strip of land that will be left on the Qatar side of the canal? How about using it for our nuclear waste dump?

That's what I call a big FU.

[French G.]

Show this story and a map of Mexico to Trump.

[Andiron]

I like their style.

And with proper execution,  wouldn't this make everything between Panama and Texas an island?

[Hawkmoon]

I like their style.

And with proper execution,  wouldn't this make everything between Panama and Texas an island?

It would probably be large enough to qualify as a continent.

[KD5NRH]

It would probably be large enough to qualify as a continent.

If we have to build a moat to stop its uncontrolled *expletive deleted*it, doesn't that make it an incontinent?

[dogmush]

The OP is .....interesting.

They are building a big ass canal, but the waters on either side aren't exactly navigable by large vessels, and there's no real point in taking it.

[Hawkmoon]

The OP is .....interesting.

They are building a big ass canal, but the waters on either side aren't exactly navigable by large vessels, and there's no real point in taking it.

And I can't see how "beaches" along a 200-meter wide canal would ever be viewed as tourist destinations. Hence my view that this proposed canal (which has been discussed for awhile but which now appears poised to be built) is anything but a FU to Qatar -- especially if the strip of Saudi territory on the Qatar side of the canal is to be used as a military base a nuclear waste dump.

[KD5NRH]

And I can't see how "beaches" along a 200-meter wide canal would ever be viewed as tourist destinations.

People travel to camp along the Brazos, and it's not even 50 meters wide for most of its length.

Then again, our beaches don't stretch inland for hundreds of miles.

But look at the number of people who come to the Rio Grande.

[Hawkmoon]

But look at the number of people who come to the Rio Grande.

Are you referring to people who visit the Rio Grande as a tourist destination, or to those who view it as the last obstacle they have to overcome in order to (illegally) enter los estados unidos?

[MechAg94]

I think if I were Qatar, I would be highly tempted to let them build it then move and take over the strip on one side.  I assume that is the point of the military base.

Is there some sort of long standing issue with smuggling from Qatar into Saudi Arabia?  I can't think of another good reason. 

[Hawkmoon]

Basically, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt claim that Qatar is funding terrorism and conspiring with Iran. Qatar denies it, of course. This seems to be more about isolating Qatar physically as well as economically as it is about shipping.

[Scout26]

It does provide for a bit of shortcut to Manama, Bahrain and Damman, SA.  Perhaps Dogmush knows how much of a shortcut and if modern container ships can pass under the Route 80 Bridge between SA and Bahrain.

[lupinus]

It does provide for a bit of shortcut to Manama, Bahrain and Damman, SA.  Perhaps Dogmush knows how much of a shortcut and if modern container ships can pass under the Route 80 Bridge between SA and Bahrain.

Given the level of FU....the bridge may be a debatable issue or not. I mean if you're going to dig a fairly pointless canal what's blowing up a bridge for funsies?

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[Hawkmoon]

It does provide for a bit of shortcut to Manama, Bahrain and Damman, SA.  Perhaps Dogmush knows how much of a shortcut and if modern container ships can pass under the Route 80 Bridge between SA and Bahrain.

Shortcut from where?

[Andiron]

I suppose that if you could get the UAE on board with something similar,  it would make a nice bypass for the straits of Hormuz.

[dogmush]

It does provide for a bit of shortcut to Manama, Bahrain and Damman, SA.  Perhaps Dogmush knows how much of a shortcut and if modern container ships can pass under the Route 80 Bridge between SA and Bahrain.

Everything south of Doha on the east side of Qatar is pretty shallow. There's also a *expletive deleted*it ton of oilfields in that little gulf between Dubai and Qatar, so there's no good way to go south. It's also not international waters. There's some islands in there that make transiting it without being in Qatari or UAE waters very frustrating.

On the west side, everything south of the main channel into Bahrain is pretty shallow. Like less than 10m. It opens up a bit after you get south of the island.

I guess if you're already building a canal, dredging a new channel isn't that big a deal.

[Scout26]

Shortcut from where?

Saudi Arabia imports damn near everything.  Most of it comes in by container ship.  Being able to shave even a few nautical miles by coming through the straights and hugging the south/west side of the Persian Gulf would be what most steamship lines would look to be doing.  The proposed canal is far too shallow and narrow for VLCC and ULCC to transit.  But not for container ships bringing all the wonders of the orient to Saudi Arabia.    It would then make sense to have it trace Route 5 instead so it's more of a straight shot to al Salwa.

[Hawkmoon]

I suppose that if you could get the UAE on board with something similar,  it would make a nice bypass for the straits of Hormuz.

There have been proposals for that, as well. I stumbled across them when looking for more info on the Saudi canal. IMHO the UAE canal makes a lot more sense.

[dogmush]

Saudi Arabia imports damn near everything.  Most of it comes in by container ship.  Being able to shave even a few nautical miles by coming through the straights and hugging the south/west side of the Persian Gulf would be what most steamship lines would look to be doing.  The proposed canal is far too shallow and narrow for VLCC and ULCC to transit.  But not for container ships bringing all the wonders of the orient to Saudi Arabia.    It would then make sense to have it trace Route 5 instead so it's more of a straight shot to al Salwa.

No. those waters are effectively not navigable.  They are shallow, and a patchwork of restricted areas surrounding current oil fields and inactive oilfields that are filled with unmarked and unlit pump heads.  Not to mention it would be a little longer, because the current traffic route is pretty much due west from the exit of the straights, so this canal would have to hook back south, plus add idle time waiting to transit a canal, plus whatever costs the canal authority imposes on passage.  It makes no sense at all to head south of Qatar.  KSA at least acknowledges that by mentioning they'd have to build a new sea port at the end of the canal.

[Hawkmoon]

No. those waters are effectively not navigable.  They are shallow, and a patchwork of restricted areas surrounding current oil fields and inactive oilfields that are filled with unmarked and unlit pump heads.  Not to mention it would be a little longer, because the current traffic route is pretty much due west from the exit of the straights, so this canal would have to hook back south, plus add idle time waiting to transit a canal, plus whatever costs the canal authority imposes on passage.  It makes no sense at all to head south of Qatar.  KSA at least acknowledges that by mentioning they'd have to build a new sea port at the end of the canal.

So you're saying it's really a moat rather than a canal?

[just Warren]

filled with unmarked and unlit pump heads

I'm no nanny-state safety hobgoblin but it seems unwise to not mark those.

Then again I know very little of the protocols and procedures of drilling for oil generally and nothing about shallow-water drilling.

But dammit, this is the internet and I'll be having an opinion by God!

[dogmush]

I'm no nanny-state safety hobgoblin but it seems unwise to not mark those.

Then again I know very little of the protocols and procedures of drilling for oil generally and nothing about shallow-water drilling.

But dammit, this is the internet and I'll be having an opinion by God!

1. They tend to be contained within large areas marked on charts that say "oil field, restricted area, unlit obstructions." Think 20-60 sq mile chunks of ocean.

2. It's the Persian Gulf: You hit a wellhead? Inshallah.