Widening Gulf

Mains Paper 2: International Relations
Prelims level: Gulf Cooperation Council
Mains level: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements
involving India and/or affecting India's interests Effect of policies and politics of developed and
developing countries on India's interests

Context

•  Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani’s decision to stay away from the December 9 Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Riyadh is the latest reminder of the growing disunity among the Gulf countries.
•  Qatar, blockaded by three GCC countries, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, and their non-GCC allies, has said it will not discuss a compromise unless the blockade is lifted.
•  The Saudi-led bloc imposed it in June 2017, accusing Qatar of funding terrorism. But as Riyadh came under increasing global pressure after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in its consulate in Istanbul, it has shown signs of reconciliation.

Background of this conflict

•  In October, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is believed to have ordered the Khashoggi hit, surprised observers by praising the Qatari economy.
•  The personal invitation to the GCC meet from King Salman bin Abdulaziz to the Qatari Emir followed the Crown Prince’s remarks.
•  But Qatar, a tiny kingdom but the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, remains defiant. Doha has announced its decision to quit OPEC, the first Arab nation to do so since the cartel was formed in 1960.
•  Though Qatar said the decision was not political, clearly its exit from OPEC was a snub to Saudi Arabia, its de facto leader.

Implications of this blockade

•  The blockade has triggered tensions among other GCC countries as well.
•  Saudi Arabia is upset that Oman and Kuwait did not join the embargo.
•  Kuwait was trying to mediate between the rivals camps, which hasn’t gone down well with Riyadh.
•  The Crown Prince started a two-day tour of Kuwait but ties were reportedly so tense that he left the country within a few hours.
•  Oman continues to be independent of Saudi influence by keeping ties open with both Qatar and Iran.
•  The blockade has made Qatar only more independent in its foreign policy decisions.

Way forward

•  It has stepped up assistance for Hamas in Gaza, accelerated a plan to allow Turkey to set up a military camp in the country and resisted calls to cut ties with Iran.
•  The decision to quit OPEC and the Emir’s absence at the GCC meet (a state minister was sent to represent the country) point to an increasingly confident Qatar.
•  But the intra-Gulf quarrels have dampened hopes for the integration of the region.
•  The bloc, which once talked about a common Gulf currency and robust connectivity projects, is now a ghost of its old self.
•  After the summit, the GCC issued a customary statement, emphasising regional stability and economic challenges.
•  Even as the summit was on, Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa criticised the Emir’s decision to skip the meet, while Doha slammed the communiqué for its failure to address the blockade. That is the state of affairs in the GCC.

Online Coaching for UPSC PRE Exam

General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Prelims Questions:

Q.1) Which of the following countries are members of both Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)?
1. Iran
2. Bahrain
3. Kuwait
4. Qatar

Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1, 3 and 4 only
(b) 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3 only

Answer: B

Mains Questions:
Q.1) Critically analyse the recent moves taken by the Qatar has to fight the Saudi Arabia-led OPEC and GCC.