DUBAI—America’s Gulf Arab allies are stepping up their involvement in Afghanistan, growing their diplomatic presence and resuming flights as competitiveness for affect above the new Taliban administration heats up.

Qatar, which housed the Taliban’s political office for various yrs and served as the venue for the Islamist movement’s peace talks with the U.S., capitalized on that influence to grow to be a important conduit amongst Afghanistan and the West soon after the Taliban seized energy on Aug. 15.