The dispute erupted at a stormy meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council this month as Saudi officials threatened to close air space or its land border to Qatar unless Doha reins in support for the pan-Arab Islamist Muslim Brotherhood.
Despite officials’ belief that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain will refrain from raising tensions further after last week’s withdrawal of ambassadors there is an increasing concern among the three members that Doha’s close relations with the Brotherhood – banned in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – is dividing the six members of the GCC. The widening gap between Doha and Riyadh has raised the prospect of Saudi Arabia carrying out its threats.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, demanded that Qatar shut down Al Jazeera and two think-tanks during the same meeting, a source close to someone who attended a recent GCC meeting told AFP.
Riyadh demanded the closure of the pan-Arab broadcaster as well as the Brookings Doha Center and the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, AFP quoted the source as saying on condition of anonymity.
