The Impact of Border Disputes on Fragile: Case Study of Bahrain and Qatar

Estudos Internacionais. 2025. Vol. 13. No. 2. P. 184-198.

Seyedi Asl S.

When the borders between states are subject to dispute, building of good
relations among the concerned states become a complicated issue. For decades,
Bahrain and Qatar have been incompatible with each other over territorial waters,
including sovereignty over the Hawar and Zubarah islands in the southern
part of the Persian Gulf. Although, the two countries were satisfied with the
final ruling of the International Court of Justice to end the disputes in 2001, the
disputes between the two countries over the mentioned islands and areas resumed
almost 20 years. Given these circumstances, this article seeks to examine
the impact of border disputes on the relations between countries, particularly
Bahrain and Qatar. This study employs a descriptive-analytical method to investigate
the impact of this influence on the ties among Persian Gulf countries,
specifically focusing on the interactions between Bahrain and Qatar. It was
found that these countries have taken some significant steps in recent decades
to resolve their issues. However, we conclude that these measures have proven
ineffective in solving the exiting disputes and the emerging ones.

Keywords: Border, Border Disputes, Arabian Peninsula, Bahrain, Qatar