The Implications of the Diplomatic Tensions between Qatar & Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE (Research Paper Sample)

The implications of the diplomatic tensions between Qatar & Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE Student's Name Department, Institutional Affiliation Course Name & Number Instructor Due Date The implications of the diplomatic tensions between Qatar & Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE Abstract June 5, 2017, witnessed the culmination of one of the most defining diplomatic crises in the Middle East, a region historically considered relatively stable. The Middle East Quartet comprising Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt declared they were cutting diplomatic ties with Qatar for what they termed as the country's significant role in sowing instability in the region. This diplomatic rift between these countries has affected their stability and has created significant implications for regional alliances and cooperation. This policy paper will analyze the impact of this crisis on the region and its dynamics and explore its causes, strategies adopted by the involved countries, and the measures taken towards reform. A literature review traces the roots of the diplomatic tensions, roles played by the different countries, strategies adopted, and effects on the block. Finally, policy recommendations will discuss several reforms or decisions that must be adopted to support the agreed-on collaboration among the countries and avoid escalating tensions on the international stage. Introduction Long-standing tensions and grievances between Qatar and its neighboring countries in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, have led to one of the GCC's (Gulf Corporation Council) longest-standing crises. Qatar's foreign policy and relations with Iran and alleged support for terrorism and extreme groups are factors that have worsened the tensions. Qatar's neighbors view Iran as a regional adversary, which ultimately led to a blockade of diplomatic ties between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates (Selmi & Bouoiyour, 2020). A series of economic and diplomatic measures were imposed against Qatar by the three countries mentioned above, such as the closure of land and airspace borders, the expulsion of Qatari diplomats, and the suspension of all trade and official diplomatic relations. The involvement of the United States came down the line in the form of an external mediator to help seek resolutions to the crisis. Regional cooperation and stability in the Arab Gulf were disrupted following the Qatar crisis, leading to a fracture within the traditional alliances in the region. The imposition of a blockade and the complete severance of diplomatic ties heightened security concerns and economic uncertainty in the region, which impacted not only Qatar but also its neighboring countries and many other stakeholders in the region. Although tensions have decreased and diplomatic relations have been reinstated, the aftermath of the Qatar crisis remains a complex challenge that requires diplomatic sensitivity and significant political will to be resolved. Literature Review Notably, this diplomatic crisis did not start in 2017, as research shows that the relationship between Qatar and the quartet, especially Saudi Arabia, has been strained since independence. According to Kinninmont (2019), the gaining of independence of Qatar and breaking away from the Ottoman Empire did not sit well with some nations of the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, hence a strained relationship between the two countries. However, the main crisis is rooted in Qatar's ambitions to pursue independent foreign policies. As (Al-Kubaisi, 2023) explains, small nations are expected to have little influence in their regions and are unable to review or upgrade their foreign policies because their size and capacity do not allow it. However, Qatar, as one of the GCC's small states proved this theoretical reasoning wrong when they actively upgraded their foreign policy since the Arab Uprising. Traditionally, their influence was supposed to be domestic, and their policies are heavily reliant on the big nations, but in this case, the country banked on its resources and international alliances, such as Iran, to advance its quest for influence. The Gulf's diplomatic tensions were further fueled by the 1995 coup in Qatar, where Hamad bin Khalifa Al Than overthrew his father's administration. After the deposed ruler fled to Saudi Arabia, claims emerged that he tried to overthrow the Qatar government with the help of the host nation, further damaging relations. The widening drift was marked by Qatar's support of US military operations, leading to the moving of the US airbase from Saudi to Qatar in 2003 (Kinninmont, 2019).In so doing, Qatar directly challenged Saudi Arabia's position in the Gulf influence by building outside alliances and investing in soft powers such as the Aljazeera broadcasting media and offering to mediate the Israel-Palestine war. It is these actions that made the quartet uneasy about Qatar's unlimited influence, especially its support for violent Islamic movements such as the Islamic Brotherhood. Gibran (2023) argues that the 2011 Arab uprising opened the lid on Qatar's supposed alignment with Islamist movements. Its response made it considered sympathetic to violent groups by financing the Aljazeera media, which aired the protests. While all the Gulf nations had their sides and support in the Uprising, Qatar was accused of abandoning the 'a friend to all' motto and increasingly supported one side. For instance, it directly supported Syria's efforts to oust the Bashar al-Assad government while joining other nations, such as Turkey, in offering support to governments associated with the Muslim Brotherhood, including Tunisia and Egypt (Kinninmont, 2019). These are some of the leading reasons Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain termed Qatar as threatening the region's stability and decided to distance themselves from the country. As scholars note, the biggest consequence of these tensions has been the transformation of GCC politics, where sanctions have become part of the diplomatic play. The expectations were that Saudi and other GCC members would resolve the issue quietly, but the imposition of air, space, and land restrictions on Qatar, as well as trade sanctions and capital withdrawal, marked a new chapter in the region (Selmi & Bouoiyour, 2020). Still, Qatar's resilience in the face of the crisis has ushered a new dawn in the Gulf's geopolitics and influence. Despite being a small state, it has shown its ability and capacity through its resources and political alignments. Problem Statement The balance of power in the Arab Gulf has been reshaped after the Qatar crisis, leading to recalibrations and realignments within regional alliances. Qatar's strategy to diversify its partnerships and its efforts to enhance resilience in the face of the blockade have shown its agility and adaptability; the insistence of its neighboring countries, on the other hand, to continue isolating Qatar has highlighted the assertiveness of the regional powers in shaping the geopolitical landscape of the Arab Gulf. All these have had significant implications on the region's geopolitics as the power and influence of smaller states are felt more. While the Al-Ula declaration reduced the tensions by resuming collaboration among the states, it also opened the door for spiteful competition among the countries, hence the possibility of future crises. Policy Recommendations Despite the seemingly simmering tensions between the nations, through the Al-Ula declaration, the issues that started the crisis in the first place are far from resolved. The decrease in tension could be a recess for a more severe crisis of the issues of power, influence, and GCC's legitimacy, which are not addressed through policy reforms. The International Crisis Group argues the declaration opened the once vicious competition among the six GCC nations, whose results are already evident with the glaring differences between UAE and Saudi Arabia, especially on their stand about collaborating with Qatar and the Yemen war (Jacobs, 2023). As such, the GCC nations and external players must uphold certain national and diplomatic policies to ensure lasting collaboration and peace in the region. Agreement on the Limitations of Foreign Policies Qatar's foreign policies, including aligning with countries associated with extremists, are one of the issues that led to the escalation of the tension, something that was not addressed in the Al-Ula declaration. The countries should agree on whether their foreign policies are independent or should be influenced by the region's interests. The GCC's main concern about Qatar's' allies is their legitimacy since they do not wish to be viewed as supporters of violent Islamic movements (Kabalan, 2021). Therefore, they should decide whether each country has a right to pursue its own foreign interest regardless of the region's position, or the council should consider all decisions. Each nation will be held accountable separately based on their foreign policies. External Reconciliation Policies Foreign countries, including the US, could drive lasting peace among the GCC members by allowing them to trade or forge diplomatic ties as a block rather than individual countries. Perhaps it is time the nations recognize that even the GCC's smaller nations, including Qatar, also influence regional geopolitics and, instead of sidelining them, involve them in the region's matters (Albasoos et al., 2021). This could strengthen Qatar and the quartet ties by eliminating the insecurities among the countries concern...