The GCC is “Happy” Again

The GCC states in early December held what was dubbed by the secretary general of the group as a “happy summit” in Doha, announcing that they had managed to heal a rift that had threatened to break ties between them in the past year.

It all started with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain recalling their ambassadors from Qatar in March 2014, accusing Doha of breaking an accord not to interfere in each others’ internal affairs. They were primarily upset over Qatar’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, considered by Saudi and the UAE to be a militant group.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also reportedly upset that prominent Brotherhood preacher Youssef al-Qaradawi was given refuge in Doha.

In November, following an emergency meeting held by the GCC in Riyadh after mediation by Kuwait, the dispute came to an end with ambassadors from the three countries returning to Doha. A statement said the meeting had reached an understanding meant to turn over a new leaf in relations between the six Gulf states.

The GCC states, although economically prosperous and politically stable, are now plagued by growing violence across the wider Middle East. The six nations increasingly require a stronger united stance to combat neighbouring dangers, especially those posed by the growing threat of terrorist group ISIL. At the summit in Doha last month, Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, said: “Against these dangers and challenges that surround us on all sides, we cannot be sidetracked by differences over details.”

He said the recent experience had “taught us not to rush to convert disagreement in political viewpoints … into differences that would affect sectors such as economy, society, media and others”.

In a sign of imminent change, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met a special envoy of Qatar’s emir in late December, in an effort to repair relations with the Gulf state. The number of non-Bahraini GCC nationals employed in the country’s government sector, according to figures released by the GCC General Secretariat.