Relationship dossier
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Relationship assessment
Relations have been restored after the 2017–2021 crisis, with regional policy differences still shaping the relationship.
Qatar toward Saudi Arabia
+15Qatar accepted the Al-Ula reconciliation in 2021 and restored relations with Saudi Arabia, participating in renewed Gulf engagement. Qatar’s emir subsequently visited Saudi Arabia, signaling high-level engagement after the blockade.
Saudi Arabia toward Qatar
+15Saudi Arabia joined the 2017 blockade of Qatar, closing the land border and severing diplomatic ties. In 2021, Saudi Arabia signed the Al-Ula agreement, reopened the border and restored relations; subsequent high-level visits reflected renewed engagement.
Overall relationship
+10The relationship combines a major period of confrontation, including the 2017 blockade, with a formal reconciliation and restored ties under the 2021 Al-Ula agreement. Renewed high-level engagement and Gulf cooperation support a cautiously improved relationship, while the severity of the rupture and unresolved regional-policy differences make the partnership less than close.
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
Qatar–Saudi relations have shifted from a severe rupture to renewed engagement. Saudi Arabia and other Arab states imposed a blockade on Qatar in 2017, closing the land border and severing ties. The 2021 Al-Ula agreement ended the crisis and enabled restored relations and cross-border links. Subsequent high-level visits and renewed Gulf cooperation indicate rapprochement, though the earlier confrontation and underlying policy differences temper the relationship.
Areas of tension
- The 2017 blockade and severing of diplomatic ties
- Disagreements over Qatar’s regional policy and its relations with other regional actors
- Disputes involving Qatar-based media and its coverage of Saudi Arabia
Key developments
Saudi Arabia joined the blockade of Qatar, closing the land border and severing diplomatic ties.
The Al-Ula agreement ended the Gulf crisis and enabled the restoration of relations and cross-border links.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and durability of practical cooperation following the 2021 reconciliation are unclear.
- The degree to which disagreements over regional policy have been resolved is uncertain.