Qatar and UAE to restore diplomatic ties, reopen embassies
Several Arab states severed ties with Qatar in 2017 over accusations it supported terrorism and that it was cozying up to Iran
Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are restoring diplomatic ties and plan to reopen embassies, over two years after the Western-allied Gulf Arab bloc was shattered when regional states boycotted Doha.
"The activation of diplomatic ties, which will include the reopening of embassies, is under process between both countries," Reuters cited an unnamed Emirati official as saying.
A Gulf official said embassies were expected to reopen with new ambassadors in their posts by mid-June, and another source said diplomatic relations would be fully restored within weeks. Qatar's international media office confirmed that "work is underway to reopen the respective embassies as soon as possible.”
The rapprochement comes amid a broader regional push for reconciliation, with Iran and Saudi Arabia agreeing last month to re-establish relations after years of hostility – threatening instability in the Gulf and stoking a war in Yemen. Several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, have also moved to end a decade-long isolation of Syria, which had been boycotted over its crackdown on protests in 2011.
In 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt severed ties with Qatar over accusations it supported terrorism and that it was cozying up to Tehran, accusations Doha denied.
Riyadh and Cairo were the first to reappoint ambassadors to Doha in 2021 after a Saudi-led deal to end the dispute, while Bahrain last week announced it would restore diplomatic ties.
"The UAE's foreign policy is primarily focused on building bridges, economic cooperation, and regional de-escalation," said the UAE official.