The obvious target of such an attack would be the King Fahd Causeway, which is the main artery between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, with millions of crossings each year.
Bahrain’s hospitality, restaurants, and entertainment sectors are heavily dependent on visits from Saudi Arabia, along with many jobs that rely on cross-border commuting.
The series of bridges and islands spans 25 km and is the only land link between the two and often handles 60,000 vehicles per day. If destroyed it would virtually eliminate the tourist economy from Bahrain, which is 6-8% of GDP.
Another notable target would be the Jubail causeway. It serves the Jubail industrial city, which is the home of much of Saudi Arabia’s petrochemicals industry. It’s a 12km span that connects to Abu Ali Island and offshore facilities.
Another notable bridge is the Wadi Leban Bridge in Riyadh, which is 763 meters long and contains a six-lane highway. If it were destroyed, it would be catastrophic for Riyadh logistics and daily life, leading to around-the-clock gridlock.
In Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed Bridge is 842 meters long and is the gateway to Abu Dhabi island from the north east. Three other bridges connect it and severing those would be a major blow.
Dubai already has major traffic problems so destroying any of the bridges on Dubai creek would be problematic, though the UAE is famous for its construction prowess so it would likely be rebuilt quickly.
In terms of market moves, the mood is worsening as Tansim cites a military official who said:
“If Trump wants to fall into a hole with his madness, we have prepared a black hole for him from which it will be impossible for him to get out”
That has stock markets sagging back towards the lows.
