Qatar is slowly coming in from the cold after international pressure forced it to rein in its independent streak.
President Barack Obama welcomed Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the White House for the first time in February after the gas-rich micro-state began to moderate its support for Islamists across the region. The president hailed the young emir for joining the coalition against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) while endorsing his calls for a democratic future in Egypt and the Palestinian territories.