GCC moves to mend Qatar rift
There are strong indications that Saudi Arabia and the UAE intend to normalise relations with Qatar
No announcement has been made about plans to lift the blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt on Qatar in June 2017. Quite possibly no formal statement will ever be made. But several recent developments point to a gradual move towards the normalisation of relations. The first sign of rapprochement was both sides ending their vicious media propaganda war. In addition, Saudi Arabia and the UAE say their national teams will take part in a Gulf football tournament in the Qatari capital, Doha, later this month. The teams will arrive by plane, thereby effectively removing the air blockade of Qatar. In another sign of the changing atmosphere, the Qatari
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
