Relationship dossier
Libya
Qatar
Relationship assessment
Qatari support and engagement have been significant, but Libya’s internal divisions have made relations uneven and contentious.
Libya toward Qatar
+15Libya’s post-2011 authorities maintained engagement with Qatar, while eastern Libyan authorities severed ties with Qatar during the 2017 Gulf crisis. Libya’s divided governance makes the scope of a unified government policy toward Qatar difficult to characterize.
Qatar toward Libya
+30Qatar supported Libya’s 2011 uprising against Muammar Gaddafi and later engaged with Libya’s internationally recognized authorities. Qatar’s involvement in Libyan political and security affairs has also drawn criticism amid the country’s internal divisions.
Overall relationship
+20The relationship combines substantial Qatari involvement in Libya’s political transition with continuing diplomatic engagement, but Libya’s fragmented authorities and the 2017 rupture by eastern authorities have limited the consistency of bilateral ties.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Libya–Qatar relations have included Qatari support for the 2011 uprising and later engagement with Libya’s internationally recognized authorities. Qatar’s political and security involvement has also been contentious amid Libya’s internal divisions. In 2017, eastern Libyan authorities severed ties with Qatar during the Gulf crisis, illustrating that relations have not been consistent across Libya’s competing authorities.
Areas of tension
- Eastern Libyan authorities’ 2017 severance of ties with Qatar during the Gulf crisis.
- Disputes and allegations concerning Qatar’s political and security involvement among Libya’s competing factions.
Key developments
Qatar supported the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi and engaged with Libya’s transitional authorities.
Eastern Libyan authorities severed ties with Qatar during the Gulf crisis.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and continuity of cooperation between successive Libyan governments and Qatar are unclear.
- The scope and implementation of bilateral security and political arrangements are uncertain.