The rupturing of diplomatic relations between Qatar and five regional states – Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the internationally-recognized Yemeni government in exile – has brought to a head a long-simmering dispute about Qatar’s distinctive approach to regional affairs. The roots of the tensions between Qatar and its neighbours go back a long way, and predate considerably the Arab Spring in 2011 and Qatar’s subsequent high-profile support for Islamist transitions in North Africa and Syria.