GCC moves to mend Qatar rift
There are strong indications that Saudi Arabia and the UAE intend to normalise relations with Qatar
No announcement has been made about plans to lift the blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt on Qatar in June 2017. Quite possibly no formal statement will ever be made. But several recent developments point to a gradual move towards the normalisation of relations. The first sign of rapprochement was both sides ending their vicious media propaganda war. In addition, Saudi Arabia and the UAE say their national teams will take part in a Gulf football tournament in the Qatari capital, Doha, later this month. The teams will arrive by plane, thereby effectively removing the air blockade of Qatar. In another sign of the changing atmosphere, the Qatari
Also in this section
26 February 2026
OPEC, upstream investors and refiners all face strategic shifts now the Asian behemoth is no longer the main engine of global oil demand growth
25 February 2026
Tech giants rather than oil majors could soon upend hydrocarbon markets, starting with North America
25 February 2026
Capex is concentrated in gas processing and LNG in the US, while in Canada the reverse is true
25 February 2026
The surge in demand for fuel and petrochemical products in Asia has led to significant expansion in refining and petrochemicals capacities, with India and China leading the way






