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Evolving Threat Perceptions and Changing Regional Dynamics in a “Post-GCC” Era

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The 2017 Gulf Crisis

Part of the book series: Gulf Studies ((GS,volume 3))

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Abstract

Rather than isolating Qatar regionally and internationally, the crisis that began with the blockade of Qatar by four regional states in June 2017 has widened existing cracks in the Gulf into a chasm and has generated unintended consequences that risk inflicting generational damage on its political and social fabric.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Among the list of conditions were demands that Qatar close down Al Jazeera and other media platforms, close the Turkish military base in the country, scale down ties with Iran, handover “wanted individuals” to the Quartet of states blockading Qatar and pay them reparations and compensation, align political, economic, and security policies with the Saudi-led bloc in the GCC, and agree to compliance audits initially monthly and then annually for a period of twelve years.

  2. 2.

    The Riyadh Agreement covered commitments by all signatories on issues such as ending media campaigns and interference in domestic affairs as well as safeguarding common interests and stopping support for opposition movements—arguably conditions that Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, rather than Qatar, violated in 2017 (see Kabalan 2018: 24).

  3. 3.

    In 2008, for example, the value of UAE exports to Iran amounted to US$13.2 billion while the value of the aggregate exports from the other five GCC states put together came to US$1.58 billion (Habibi 2010: 5).

  4. 4.

    In a television interview with Turkey’s TRT World in July 2017, Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, then Qatar’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, recalled that the Saudi-Emirati pressure on Qatar began in July 2013, within weeks of HH Sheikh Tamim becoming Emir and Mohammed Mursi’s toppling in Egypt.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Baker Institute Fellow for the Middle East, Rice University MS-40, Houston, TX, USA

    Kristian Ulrichsen

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  1. Kristian Ulrichsen
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Correspondence to Kristian Ulrichsen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

    Mahjoob Zweiri

  2. Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

    Md Mizanur Rahman

  3. Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

    Arwa Kamal

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Ulrichsen, K. (2021). Evolving Threat Perceptions and Changing Regional Dynamics in a “Post-GCC” Era. In: Zweiri, M., Rahman, M.M., Kamal, A. (eds) The 2017 Gulf Crisis . Gulf Studies, vol 3. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8735-1_8

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