Qatar is Not Quitting Gulf Cooperation Council
The Claim
Qatar has announced plans to quit the Gulf Cooperation Council.
News posted on
Emerging story
As the three-year anniversary of Qatar being isolated approaches, recent reports out of the Middle East, including from Gulf News, indicate that Qatar has plans to quit the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Claims were circulating across the MENA region.
Misbar’s Analysis
Relations with Qatar were severed back in 2017 when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt instated a land, sea, and air blockade on the country. As the three-year anniversary of the blockade approaches, rumors are starting to swirl about Qatar leaving the GCC all together, questioning it’s relevancy among the region’s people.
“As we are reaching the third year of the illegal blockade on Qatar by Saudi, UAE and Bahrain, there is no wonder why the people of the GCC are doubting and questioning the GCC as an institution. Qatar hopes the GCC will once again be a platform of cooperation and coordination. An effective GCC is needed now more than ever, given the challenges facing our region,” said Assistant Foreign Minister and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H E Lolwah bint Rashid Mohammed Al Khater
Despite the rumors of Qatar leaving the GCC, H E Lolwah bint Rashid Mohammed Al Khater denied that the country was planning to quit.
“Reports claiming that Qatar is considering leaving the GCC are wholly incorrect and baseless said Lolwah bint Rashid Mohammed Al Khater. “Such rumours must have originated from people’s despair and disappointment with a fractured GCC, which used to be a source of hope and aspiration for the people of the six member countries.”
In summary, despite the rumors of Qatar quitting the GCC, the reports were denied by Qatar’s assistant foreign minister. As such, we label the claim that Qatar is leaving the GCC as “not true”.
