After a March 2014 meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain announced the recall of their ambassadors to Qatar.[78][79][80] Some financial economists have interpreted the 2014 Saudi–Qatari rift as the tangible political sign of a growing economic rivalry between oil and natural gas producers, which could "have deep and long-lasting consequences" beyond the Middle East-North Africa area.[81] On 5 June 2017, Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations, as well as other ties, with Qatar.[82] Saudi Arabia explained the decision by referring to Qatar's “embrace of various terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at destabilising the region”, including the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaida, Islamic State, and groups supported by Iran in the kingdom's eastern province of Qatif.[83] Russia 1926 See Russia–Saudi Arabia relations Russia has an embassy in Riyadh.