Qatar's second-quarter budget gap swells to €5 billion as LNG shipments stall
Qatar's budget deficit more than doubled in Q2 2026 to about €5 billion, driven by reduced operating spending and a halt in LNG deliveries to Europe.
Qatar announced that its budget shortfall more than doubled in the second quarter of 2026, reaching 21.2 bn riyals (approximately €5 bn), far exceeding the 10.3 bn riyals deficit recorded in the first quarter. Total government revenue for the half-year was about 25.6 bn riyals, while expenditures rose to roughly 46.9 bn riyals, pushing the first-half deficit to 31.5 bn riyals, above the full-year forecast. The foreign-ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said the reported spending cuts, up to 30%, apply solely to operating expenses and exclude salaries and capital projects, describing them as temporary measures linked to the regional crisis.
Disruptions to QatarEnergy's liquefied natural gas exports have forced European customers, including Italian utility Edison, to seek alternative supplies, with force-majeure extended into early November. Ship-tracking data showed several empty Qatar-linked LNG carriers in the Gulf of Oman and near the Strait of Hormuz, while loaded vessels remained in the Gulf, indicating that regular exports have not yet resumed.
