Qatar begins shipping cargo via Oman

DOHA - Qatar said on Monday that it had begun shipping cargo through Oman to bypass Gulf countries that have cut off sea routes to the tiny, energy-rich nation, its latest move to show it can survive a diplomatic dispute with its neighbors.

Qatar's port authority published video showing a container ship loaded down with cargo arriving at Doha's Hamad Port from Oman's port of Sohar to a water-cannon welcome.

Typically, cargo for Qatar stops at Dubai's massive deep-water Jebel Ali port or in the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi, then gets put on smaller boats heading to Doha. But since June 5, the United Arab Emirates has joined Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt in cutting off sea traffic to Qatar as part of the nations severing diplomatic ties over Qatar's alleged support of extremists groups.