The sectarianism plaguing the Sunni belt is affecting even the relatively stable oil sheikdoms of the Gulf, where a schism within the Gulf Cooperation Council is spurring new tensions and proxy competition among its members. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates view Qatar’s efforts to aid Islamists like the Muslim Brotherhood as an existential threat, even as their own wealth has fueled the spread of Salafi jihadism and Al Qaeda ideology.
肆虐于逊尼派地区的宗派主义甚至还开始影响相对稳定的波斯湾石油酋长国——波斯湾合作委员会（Gulf Cooperation Council）内部的分裂正在刺激成员国之间新的紧张和代理竞争。沙特阿拉伯和阿拉伯联合酋长国将卡塔尔对穆斯林兄弟会这样的伊斯兰教众的支持视为生存威胁，虽然它们自身的财富也助长了沙拉菲派圣战主义和基地组织意识形态的传播。两国以及巴林都召回了驻卡塔尔大使。