Journalists watch the display screen as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomes the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, forward of the forty first Gulf Cooperation Council summit within the metropolis of Al-Ula in Saudi Arabia on Jan. 5, 2021.
Fayez Nureldine | AFP | Getty Photographs
Saudi Arabia has reinstated diplomatic relations with Qatar, greater than three years after Riyadh and a number of other Arab international locations severed ties with Doha.
It comes as Kuwait, a mediator for each side, introduced that Saudi Arabia is reopening its airspace, sea and land borders with Qatar.
Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for the primary time for the reason that dispute erupted in 2017. He was there to attend the annual Gulf Cooperation Council summit within the historical metropolis of Al-Ula.
Relations among the many Arab nations soured in 2017, when Saudi Arabia and its allies — the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt — imposed a diplomatic, commerce and journey blockade on Qatar. They accused the tiny Gulf nation of supporting terrorism and of being too near Iran, allegations that Doha has at all times denied.
The dispute plunged the area right into a diplomatic disaster not seen for the reason that 1991 warfare in opposition to Iraq, and uncovered deep ideological variations within the area.
Al-Thani in 2018 stated the dispute was a “futile crisis,” and that Qatar preserved its sovereignty regardless of “aggression” from its neighbors.
Saudi-owned media Al-Arabiya additionally reported on Tuesday that Egypt has agreed to reopen its airspace to Qatar.
Forward of the summit, the UAE’s Minister of State for International Affairs, Anwar Gargash, stated in a tweet the GCC assembly will restore Gulf cohesion. He added: “There’s nonetheless work to be carried out and we’re in the correct course.”
Restoring diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Qatar is a part of Washington’s newest effort to dealer offers within the Center East. In a diplomatic win for President Donald Trump, the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco normalized relations with Israel in 2020.
Turkey’s ministry of overseas affairs on Monday welcomed the reopening of borders between Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
“It’s our hope {that a} complete and lasting answer to this battle might be reached on the premise of mutual respect to sovereignty of all international locations and that every one different sanctions in opposition to the Qatari folks might be lifted as quickly as potential,” the ministry said in a press release.
— CNBC’s Ryan Browne and Mila Latoof contributed to this report.
