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Saudi Arabia and Qatar open land, air and sea borders ending a three year crisis

4 January 2021

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have agreed to open all land, air and sea borders as of midnight, 5th of January leading to an end to a three year crisis in relations, following intensive mediation by Kuwait and the United States.

“Based on [Kuwait’s ruler Emir] Sheikh Nawaf’s proposal, it was agreed to open the airspace and land and sea borders between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Qatar, starting from this evening,” Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah said on state TV on Monday.

Kuwait has been mediating between the two sides for several months. The re-opening of the border comes just hours before the launch of the 41st GCC Summit in Saudi Arabia.

In remarks carried by the Saudi state-run news agency on Monday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the GCC summit will be “inclusive”, leading the states toward “reunification and solidarity in facing the challenges of our region”.

In December, the Qatari Emir was invited to the GCC summit in Riyadh. Qatar's Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani confirmed his attendance at GCC Summit in Saudi Arabia's Al Ula, according to an official statement. 

Source: commonspace.eu with Al Jazeera (Doha). 
Photo: GCC citizens celebrate as Gulf reconciliation efforts progress. 

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