The US considers Saudi Arabia the key to counter-balancing Iran in the Middle East, and has tried hard, but so-far unsuccessfully, to sway Riyadh to end the Qatar blockade.
The US wants Qatar to be part of the proposed Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) — a multi-country effort to check Iranian power in the region.
Critics say MESA is a guise for the US to pull forces out of the area, without letting Iranian, Russian, or Chinese influence grow.
Progress seemed to have been made in Riyadh in October 2018, after Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman praised Qatar at the Future Investment Initiative, known as "Davos in the Desert."
"Qatar, despite the differences we have, has a great economy and they will be doing a lot in the next five years," he said.
Source: New York Times