Qatar begins shipping cargo through Oman

"We shall not end ties with either Saudi Arabia or Qatar", Hirsi who is based in Pretoria said.

The airspace closure was to protect the country and its citizens from anything it sees as a threat and as a precautionary measure, Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said in a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency.

Qatar shares control of a vast underwater gas field with Iran, which lies on the other side of the Persian Gulf.

"The Muslim majority nations in Africa feel that they need to make a decision for or against Qatar", Annette Weber, an expert on the Middle East and Africa at the German Institute for worldwide and Security Affairs, told DW.

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker said the move by Saudi Arabia and its allies was an "illegal blockade".

Qatar's regional rivals insist it funds and supports political Islam, al Qaeda-linked Syrian militias and the Muslim Brotherhood - as well as accusing the small state of being too cosy with Iran, the Shia regional superpower. Both Tehran and Ankara have been sending foodstuffs to Qatar amid the blockage of transit routes by Saudi Arabia and the other countries.

Qatar's currency, the riyal, touched a new low against the dollar on Tuesday as the country's diplomatic crisis continued.

"We still do not why they have taken these actions and isolated Qatar".

He also said "no one has the right" to pressure Qatar to silence TV network Al Jazeera, which is based in Doha. Doha is a major global travel hub, but flagship carrier Qatar Airways now flies increasingly over Iran and Turkey after being blocked elsewhere in the Middle East. Other nations also operate forces out of Qatar. "Pakistan believes in unity among Muslim states and has made serious efforts for its promotion", said foreign office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain last week took measures to isolate Qatar over its support for Islamist and terrorist groups.

Analysts have said there are no signs that Qatar's neighbors want to escalate the spat by blockading its ships.

Qatar's port authority says its cargo will go through Sohar, as well as Oman's port at Salalah.

Qatar's World Cup preparations continue "as normal" and organisers remain confident that stadium construction deadlines will be met, a source close to the 2022 tournament has told AFP.

Qatar has come under intense pressure from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, the Maldives, and Egypt - all of which have broken off ties with Doha - and the U.S. over accusations that the Qatari government sponsors extremist groups, including the Taliban.