On Monday, June 19, 2023, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar reopened their embassies after a six-year separation. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul rahman Al-Thani, the foreign minister of Qatar, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, spoke over the phone and agreed to reopen their respective embassies.
The two countries have taken a major step toward mending ties with each other with the reopening of their embassies. Since the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and four other nations (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and Qatar) placed an embargo on Qatar in 2017, tensions have been high between them. In January of 2021, the embargo was removed, but tensions between the two nations persisted.
The reopening of embassies is a step in the right direction toward peace in the area. Having better relations between the two countries might help ease tensions in the Gulf area.
The United States is pleased that embassies may once again operate normally. An “important step” toward regional stability, according to the US Department of State.
The future of ties between the two nations when the embassies reopen is uncertain. But it’s a start in the right direction, and it might help stabilize the Gulf area.
