The International Court of Justice in The Hague is to issue a definitive judgment today in the longest case in its history - a territorial dispute between Bahrain and Qatar which has soured relations between the Gulf Arab neighbours for decades.
More than nine years after Qatar started proceedings against Bahrain over the disputed Hawar Islands, the International Court of Justice will announce a final, binding verdict that is not subject to appeal.
The row centres on small but potentially oil- and gas-rich islands controlled by Bahrain but claimed by Qatar. The countries almost went to war over the issue in 1986. It is a dispute that dates back to the 1930s, when Britain - which then controlled both countries' foreign affairs - stepped into a bitter conflict between the ruling families of the Gulf states and decided the islands belonged to Bahrain.
"The British decision was motivated by political and oil considerations, and was not based on justice and fair play," the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, said last November.
Bahrain, which had favoured regional mediation to resolve the dispute, was irate when Qatar took the case to the World Court on July 8th, 1991.