Bahrain Mirror: CEO of Gulf State Analytics, Giorgio Cafiero, said in an article in the "Al-Monitor" that tensions between Bahrain and Qatar have reached an enormously high level. Last month, Bahrain's Shura Council condemned Doha's alleged "coordination and cooperation" with the Arabian archipelago country's Shiite opposition and Iran "to spark chaos" amid the unrest of 2011.

Cafiero stated "According to Bahrain News Agency, Qatar was behind the creation of social media accounts and "hostile Bahraini opposition websites" to "ignite the flames of sectarianism" and topple the Al-Khalifa regime." The cited evidence was a phone call between former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani and Sheikh Ali Salman, the leader of Al-Wefaq, Bahrain's dominant and, since then, dissolved Shiite opposition society.

He added "Nonetheless, Manama and Doha were not on positive terms for too much longer after 2011. The two main issues that fueled friction between Bahrain and Qatar between the unleashing of "Arab Spring" uprisings and May/June of this year were Doha's cordial ties with Iran and Al Jazeera's coverage of events in Bahrain and other Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Yemen."

Indeed, throughout the past three months, Bahrain and Qatar have accused each other of "military escalation," "psychological warfare," sponsoring terrorism and violating international law, among other aggressive acts.

"Qatar's economic and geopolitical separation from other GCC states, including Bahrain, will come with economic costs. Without any prospects for the "friendship bridge" being built until the Qatar crisis resolves, the Bahraini economy, which is suffering from low oil prices and in need of growth in non-oil sectors, will not have the opportunity to benefit from coastal resorts, cinemas and business parks that could be built to cater to businessmen, investors and tourists from the world's wealthiest country across the causeway," the article read.

In addition to growing Bahrain's tourism industry, the logistics sector could gain from the "friendship bridge," with the island kingdom becoming an increasingly important trade corridor linking Qatar to Saudi Arabia. Bahrain's comparatively liberal investment environment and workforce, which is more trained than those in other GCC states, could potentially lure more businesses to come into the archipelago sheikdom from other Arabian Peninsula states.

The writer further stated "The costs of Qatar and its fellow GCC states not deepening their economic and investment links will likely be paid for a long time. Moreover, the rising tension between Doha and Manama will further damage the prospects for the GCC members to restore any semblance of political unity, trust and cohesion under a common Khaleeji identity and in pursuit of mutual interests, including the diversification of their economies beyond traditional hydrocarbon sectors."

Arabic Version