Saudi Arabia and Qatar will open air and sea borders ahead of the GCC Summit

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Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser Mohammed al Sabah on Monday said on state television that “based on the suggestion of His Majesty Sheikh Nawaf al Ahmad al Sabah, Emir Dia Kuwait protects him, it was agreed to open air and sea borders starting today ( Monday) between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. “

He also said the latter agreement was the result of a call that broke the Kuwaiti Emir with Qatar Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The diplomatic break comes one day ahead of a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Tuesday, hosted by Saudi Arabia.

Representatives from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be in attendance. The Qatari Emir will also be present at the summit, his first visit to the country in three years.

In a statement, bin Salman said the summit would focus on “regional unity and cohesion,” according to the state-run Saudi News Agency (SPA). “Through it [the summit] the hopes of the [Saudi] King and his brothers, leaders (Gulf Cooperation Council), will write for unity and cohesion to address the challenges of the region, ”said SPA.

A senior U.S. administration official told CNN on Monday that President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, helped negotiate the reopening between the two countries and was also expected at a high level. Tuesday’s meeting to attend a celebration of achievement.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates broke their alliance with Qatar in 2017, accusing them of supporting terrorism and subjugating the region. Qatar – which shares its same land border with Saudi Arabia – denied the allegations, saying they are “unjustified” and “unfounded.”

But Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been working recently to close the divide. At a major diplomatic conference in December, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud said he was “optimistic” about the repair of relations.

Both countries had taken “important” steps towards a settlement, he said, believing both Kuwait and the US: “We have made great progress in the last few days, thanks to continued efforts. Kuwait but also with strong support from the Trump Administration and the U.S. to bring all parties closer. “

At the same conference, Qatar’s Foreign Minister acknowledged that there were moves to “end the Gulf crisis.”

Mostafa Salem received a statement from Abu Dhabi and Hande Atay Alam of Atlanta.

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