United Arab Emirates – Qatari Thaw: Respective Embassies Reopen

The United Arab Emirates and Qatar have resumed diplomatic relations. The respective embassies in the two countries have been effectively reopened after years of conflict that characterized relations between the two very wealthy Gulf states.

The United Arab Emirates, as well as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, severed relations with Qatar in 2017. The dispute was sparked by accusations in Doha of supporting terrorist organizations and maintaining relations with Iran. This was followed by an economic and diplomatic embargo against Qatar.

After a historic low in 2017, the countries gradually returned to cooperation, first at the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council summit held in Riyadh in 2021, then followed the restoration of diplomatic relations in April between Bahrain and Qatar, and now between the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

The context is sensed in the atmosphere of general détente, which is also related to the improvement of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran: in March, the two states, with China as mediator, signed an agreement to restore diplomatic channels.

“The UAE and Qatar today opened their diplomatic mission with the resuming the activity of the UAE Embassy in Doha and the Qatar Embassy in Abu Dhabi, as well as its consulate in Dubai,” the official statement said.