The UAE And Qatar Are More Alike Than Apart
Divided by ideology, the two small sheikhdoms have followed strikingly similar paths.
Rising above demographics.
Photographer: Yoan Valat/EPA
The end of the embargo on Qatar and the resulting restoration of its ties with the United Arab Emirates will not resolve over their deep-seated differences. But the two sheikhdoms are strikingly alike in many ways, especially in their skillful exploitation of similar economic and demographic circumstances to acquire political clout across the Middle East and North Africa.
In the past decade, they have both punched above their weight as regional powers, using financial, political and military tools to wield ever-expanding influence across the MENA region. They’ve also attached themselves to powerful global and regional alliances — on the same side under the American security umbrella (the UAE and Qatar both host U.S. military bases), and on opposite sides (Qatar also hosts a Turkish military base, much to the UAE’s chagrin).