Riyadh - The summit is expected to see formal agreement towards ending a dispute that has seen Riyadh and its allies boycott Qatar.
Qatar’s Ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani arrived in Saudi Arabia and was greeted with an embrace by the Kingdom’s Crown Prince Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday.
Sheikh Tamim will attend the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit being held in Saudi Arabia’s ancient desert site of Al Ula. The summit is expected to see formal agreement towards ending a dispute that has seen Riyadh and its allies boycott Qatar.
On Monday, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister announced that Saudi Arabia will reopen its borders and airspace to Qatar, a major step towards ending the diplomatic rift. Kuwait’s foreign minister said in a statement carried on state TV that Kuwait’s Ruler had spoken with Qatar’s Emir and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince. The conversations “emphasized that everyone was keen on reunification,” and would gather in Al Ula to sign a statement that promises to “usher in a bright page of brotherly relations”.
The summit will be “inclusive,” leading the states toward “reunification and solidarity in facing the challenges of our region,” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was quoted as saying in remarks carried by the Saudi state-run news agency.