Gulf Reconciliation 2021 Implications for the Future of Iraqi-Gulf Relations

What is it about?

After the American occupation of 2003 and the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime, Iraq faced many challenges including in its foreign relations. It sought to overcome these, especially with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in light of its confrontation with terrorism, sectarianism, and security deterioration. This state of affairs continued until 2014 when Iraqi-Gulf relations witnessed a remarkable normalization in various political, security and economic fields, culminating in the “Gulf reconciliation” in January 2021 when the GCC succeeded in achieving reconciliation with Qatar, at the “Al-Ula Summit” held in Al-Ula in northern Saudi Arabia.

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Photo by Sajimon Sahadevan on Unsplash

Photo by Sajimon Sahadevan on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The importance of the paper is that it studies from within the Iraqi mind and its experience the impact of the 2012 Gulf reconciliation on the present and future of Iraqi-Gulf relations.Since 2023, Iraq's relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have witnessed significant development, as the Iraqi government has sought to strengthen economic and political cooperation with these countries. In February 2023, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani made an official visit to the United Arab Emirates, the first visit of an Iraqi prime minister to a Gulf country in years.

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