The Threats to Saudi Arabia and Qatar’s Post-Blockade Detente

The post-blockade detente between Saudi Arabia and Qatar will remain fragile as numerous underlying factors could give way to a resumption of tensions. On Dec. 9, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Qatar for the first time since Riyadh ended its yearslong blockade of Doha in January. Upon arriving in the Qatari capital, the prince received a warm welcome from Qatar’s ruling Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who embraced the Saudi ruler on the tarmac. The trip marks a notable step in the reconciliation of Saudi-Qatari relations, which had soured in recent years amid Prince Mohammed’s rise to power and the Saudi-led GCC embargo of Qatar. ...