Bahrain–Qatar relations

Bahrain - Qatar relations

Bahrain	Qatar

Bilateral relations exist between the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Bahrain. They first began in 1971.

On 5 June 2017, Bahrain officially cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, giving the country's diplomats 48 hours to leave.

On 13 April 2023, Bahrain and Qatar officially resumed their diplomatic relations, two years after the Arab blockade on the latter was resolved.

History

Bahrain and Qatar shared a similar history for belonging to the Persian Gulf region and speak Arabic language as the first language, as well as having Islam as the state religion.

Territorial disputes

Starting in 1936, Qatar and Bahrain were involved in territorial disputes over the Hawar Islands, Fasht Al Azm, Fasht Dibal, Qit'at Jaradah, and Zubarah. In 1996, Bahrain boycotted the GCC summit hosted in Qatar, claiming that the last summit held in Qatar in 1990 was used as a platform to reiterate their territorial claims to the other GCC states. They also cited the 1986 Qatari incursion in Fasht Dibal as a reason for not attending. In December 1996, two Qatari citizens, Salwa Fakhri and Fahad Al Baker, were arrested on charges of espionage in Bahrain. During the trial, it was purported that Qatar had been involved in a prior spying mission which was uncovered by Bahraini authorities in 1987. In January 1997, a member of Bahrain's ruling family, Nasser Al Khalifa, defected to Qatar in a highly publicized instance in which he flew a Bahraini military helicopter to the Qatari capital.

The disputes were resolved by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 16 March 2001, giving Bahrain the Hawar Islands (excluding the Janan Island), Qit'at Jaradah, and Fasht Al Azm, with Qatar receiving Zubarah, Fasht Dibal, and the Janan Island.

Zubarah

From the 19th century onward, the two countries periodically disputed the ownership of Zubarah, a town on the north-west coast of Qatar. Tensions were heightened in 1939 after Qatar constructed a fort in the town; an act which was deemed illegal by Bahrain. A settlement was reached in 1944 during a meeting mediated by the Saudis, in which Qatar recognized Bahrain's customary rights, such as grazing, and visiting with no formalities necessary. However, this accord was broken shortly after, following the construction of another fort by Qatar.

In 1953, Bahrain reiterated its claims over Zubarah when it sent a party of students and teachers to Zubarah who proceeded to write 'Bahrain' on the walls of Zubarah Fort. Furthermore, the Bahrain Education Department published maps which alleged Bahraini sovereignty over the entire north-west coast of the peninsula. Qatar responded by stationing troops in the fort in 1954. The case was resolved in Qatar's favor by the ICJ in 2001.

Fasht Dibal

A dispute arose over Fasht Dibal in 1985 after Bahrain began constructing fortifications on the island. Qatar considered the construction to be a violation of an existing agreement made in 1978. In April 1986, Qatari troops arrived on the island via helicopter and declared it a 'restricted zone'. They seized several Bahraini officials and 29 construction workers hired by the Dutch contracting company Ballast Nedam. On 12 May 1986, following protests by the Netherlands and mediation by several GCC member states, Bahrain and Qatar reached a settlement, after which the foreign workers were released. Qatari troops evacuated the island on 15 June. The island was later awarded to Qatar in the aftermath of the 2001 ICJ case.

Nationality controversy

In 2014, Bahrain accused Qatar of offering certain Bahraini families Qatari citizenship in exchange for dropping their Bahraini citizenship. It was reported that Qatar was targeting Sunni citizens, a threat to Bahrain's demographics as the majority of the population is Shia while the ruling family is Sunni. Undersecretary of Nationality, Passport and Residence Affairs of Bahrain, Sheikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, was quoted as saying,“We are confident that Qatar, a brotherly neighbour with Bahrain, will reconsider its position on this matter because naturalising Bahrainis negatively affects the security situation and the high national interests of Bahrain.” He also claimed that being a citizen of a country part of the GCC gave citizens of one country the right to work, own property and move between the other member countries thus changing nationalities wouldn't be necessary. Bahrain also claimed that it was a violation of an agreement of non-interference, signed on 17 April 2014, in the internal affairs of GCC member states. On 13 August 2014, Qatar pledged to stop offering GCC nationals Qatari citizenship during a meeting of GCC foreign ministers in Jeddah. Despite this, Bahrain's interior minister threatened action against Qatar and claimed that they were still engaging in these activities. It was claimed that Qatar had naturalised hundreds of Bahrainis and as a result, Bahrain imposed fines on any Bahraini that accepted citizenship. Qatar's Director General of Public Security of Interior Ministry Major General called the quote "inaccurate" and argued that Qatar was only attempting to naturalise citizens of Qatari origin.

2014 Ambassador controversy

On 5 March 2014, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates announced the withdrawal of their ambassadors from Qatar, alleging that Qatar had failed to fully implement a security agreement signed by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. The agreement included commitments to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of other GCC members and to avoid supporting groups or individuals perceived as threats to their security and stability. Qatari officials attributed the diplomatic rift to divergent foreign policy positions, particularly Qatar’s support for groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and its opposition to the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état, which led to the establishment of a military-backed government under Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. On 16 November, it was reported that Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE were returning their ambassadors to Qatar following an emergency meeting in Riyadh, stating that they had reached an understanding.

2017 Diplomatic Crisis

In June 2017, Bahrain, alongside Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, severed diplomatic ties with Qatar in what became known as the Qatar diplomatic crisis, accusing it of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs. Bahrain imposed a series of measures, including closing its airspace and territorial waters to Qatari planes and ships, barring its citizens from traveling to or residing in Qatar, expelling Qatari diplomats and restricting trade and travel links. The rift persisted for over three years until a reconciliation agreement was reached in January 2021 as part of the Al-Ula Declaration. In April 2023, Bahrain had restored diplomatic ties with Qatar.

See also

• Foreign relations of Bahrain
• Foreign relations of Qatar
• Qatar diplomatic crisis