Saudi Arabia to reopen its airspace to Qatar
Tuesday, January 05, 2021

Saudi Arabia is set to reopen its airspace and land border to Qatar in a bid to end years of a diplomatic feud and ease the Gulf crisis, according to reports.  

Media reports suggest that the lifting of the embargo by Saudi Arabia paves the way for Qatar’s Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to attend an annual summit of Gulf leaders Tuesday in Saudi’s ancient desert site of Al-Ula.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud highlighted that the Gulf summit will reunify the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The summit would traditionally be chaired by Saudi King Salman, though his son and heir, the crown prince, may instead lead the meeting, which will focus on the Gulf crisis.

Saudi Arab, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Doha in June 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

Qatar has repeatedly denied all the charges but the quartet the imposed embargo on Doha, cutting all transport and diplomatic links with it.