Little more than a month ago, four Arab nations severed ties with Qatar. They were Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The reason behind it was the relationship between certain extremist groups and the Qatari nation. As Reuters reported, Saudi Arabia in particular accused Qatar of "backing militant groups" and that they broadcast their ideology on Qatar's state-owned satellite channel, Al Jazeera. The Saudi state news agency SPA stated that "Qatar embraces multiple terrorist and sectarian groups". As a result they cut all "land, air and sea traffic with Qatar", as the Guardian newspaper stated.
What was revealed?
However, what is most embarrassing for the Saudi's is a report recently published by a right-wing think tank, the 'Henry Jackson Society'. According to CNBC, the report concluded that Saudi Arabia is the 'foremost' "financier of Islamist extremism in the UK". The report connected several Saudi organisations to a growth in the number of British citizens becoming radicalised and leaving to join the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Not what they need
Whatever the fallout from this report may be, it will most certainly be embarrassing for the Saudis. It could be seen to be hypercritical, and cause further damage in their attempts to punish Qatar for their links to terrorist groups.
And for relations between the UK and Saudi Arabia? It will not be good as the Arab nation are the "closest ally to the UK in the Middle East", as CNBC stated. What is for sure is that this is just not what they need right now.
