The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has agreed to reopen its land, air and sea borders with Qatar, to end a dispute of over three (3) years, which led to an unprecedented crisis in the oil-rich Gulf region.
According to Kuwait who has been mediating between the rivals, the borders would be open from Monday, 4thJanuary 2021. The resolve is also credited to the efforts of the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, to end the dispute with its neighbour.
Both countries are allies of the United States, and according to Financial Times, the United States government played its part in pressuring Gulf states to resolve their differences. The U.S. government has been pushing for an end to the spat before the end of the current administration’s tenure later this month.
As a result of the deal, for the first time since June 2017 after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar; the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, attended a Gulf summit in Saudi Arabia yesterday, 5th January 2021, where more details of an agreement between both countries were announced.
According to the Saudi news agency, it was reported that before the summit, Crown Prince Mohammed said that it would unite Gulf ranks “in the face of challenges facing the region.”
Sources say that after Saudi Arabia lifted the travel route borders, Doha is to freeze state-related legal cased launched against its rivals at the World Trade Organisation and the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
The other Arab states involved in the dispute have praised the efforts of Saudi Arabia in recent weeks to resolve the dispute, but it is not yet known if they will also lift their embargoes on Qatar.
Qatar is the world’s biggest exporter of Liquefied Natural Gas and its richest nation in per capita terms.
%20years,%20which%20led%20to%20an%20unprecedented%20crisis%20in%20the%20oil-rich%20Gulf%20region.According%20to%20Kuwait%20who%20has%20been%20mediating%20between%20the%20rivals,%20the%20borders%20would%20be%20open%20from%20Monday,%204supth/supJanuary%202021.%20The%20resolve%20is%20also%20credited%20to%20the%20efforts%20of%20the%20Crown%20Prince,%20Mohammed%20bin%20Salman,%20Saudi%20Arabia’s%20de%20facto%20leader,%20to%20end%20the%20dispute%20with%20its%20neighbour.Both%20countries%20are%20allies%20of%20the%20United%20States,%20and%20according%20to%20Financial%20Times,%20the%20United%20States%20government%20played%20its%20part%20in%20pressuring%20Gulf%20states%20to%20resolve%20their%20differences.%20The%20U.S.%20government%20has%20been%20pushing%20for%20an%20end%20to%20the%20spat%20before%20the%20end%20of%20the%20current%20administration’s%20tenure%20later%20this%20month.As%20a%20result%20of%20the%20deal,%20for%20the%20first%20time%20since%20June%202017%20after%20Saudi%20Arabia,%20the%20United%20Arab%20Emirates,%20Bahrain%20and%20Egypt%20cut%20diplomatic%20ties%20and%20transport%20links%20with%20Qatar;%20the%20Emir%20of%20Qatar,%20Sheikh%20Tamim%20bin%20Hamad%20al-Thani,%20attended%20a%20Gulf%20summit%20in%20Saudi%20Arabia%20yesterday,%205supth/sup%20January%202021,%20where%20more%20details%20of%20an%20agreement%20between%20both%20countries%20were%20announced.According%20to%20the%20Saudi%20news%20agency,%20it%20was%20reported%20that%20before%20the%20summit,%20Crown%20Prince%20Mohammed%20said%20that%20it%20would%20unite%20Gulf%20ranks%20emin%20the%20face%20of%20challenges%20facing%20the%20region.”/emSources%20say%20that%20after%20Saudi%20Arabia%20lifted%20the%20travel%20route%20borders,%20Doha%20is%20to%20freeze%20state-related%20legal%20cased%20launched%20against%20its%20rivals%20at%20the%20World%20Trade%20Organisation%20and%20the%20International%20Civil%20Aviation%20Organisation.The%20other%20Arab%20states%20involved%20in%20the%20dispute%20have%20praised%20the%20efforts%20of%20Saudi%20Arabia%20in%20recent%20weeks%20to%20resolve%20the%20dispute,%20but%20it%20is%20not%20yet%20known%20if%20they%20will%20also%20lift%20their%20embargoes%20on%20Qatar.strongQatar/strong%20is%20the%20world's%20biggest%20exporter%20of%20Liquefied%20Natural%20Gas%20and%20its%20richest%20nation%20in%20per%20capita%20terms.){kind=link}