UAE and Qatar are working to reestablish diplomatic relations

More than two years after Arab governments halted a blockade of Doha that had split the Western-allied Gulf Arab bloc, authorities said on Tuesday that Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are reestablishing diplomatic relations and reopening embassies.

In response to a query from Reuters, a UAE official stated in a statement that "at the moment, the activation of diplomatic ties, which will include the reopening of embassies, is under process between both countries."

According to a statement from Qatar's international media office, "work is underway to reopen the respective embassies as soon as possible."

By the middle of June, according to a Gulf official, embassies should reopen with new ambassadors in place. According to a fourth source, diplomatic ties would be entirely repaired within a few weeks.

With Iran and Saudi Arabia deciding last month to normalize their relations after years of antagonism that threatened Gulf instability and fueled the conflict in Yemen, the restoration of ties coincides with a broader regional effort for peace.

A number of Arab nations, particularly Saudi Arabia and Egypt, have taken steps to end Syria's decade-long isolation after the country's violent suppression of protesters in 2011 sparked a protracted civil conflict.

This week, the Houthi movement and Saudi Arabia held peace negotiations in Yemen and exchanged hundreds of prisoners. This was a big step toward promoting peace in a conflict that is widely believed to be one of several proxy wars between Saudi Arabia and Iran. More peace negotiations are anticipated soon.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt broke all connections with Qatar in the middle of 2017 over claims that Doha was cozying up to Iran and supporting terrorism, both of which Doha rejected.

After a Saudi-led agreement to terminate the issue, Riyadh and Cairo were the first to reassign ambassadors to Doha in 2021, while Bahrain this week said it would reestablish diplomatic ties.

Early in 2021, when the UAE had stated that establishing diplomatic relations would take time, all countries—with the exception of Bahrain—had restored economic and travel connections with Qatar.

Last year, leaders of Qatar and the UAE held face-to-face meetings to improve relations.