Saudi Arabia opens the borders for Qatar, ending the years-long ban on the nation. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has opened airspace, land and sea for Qatar, from Monday evening. The massive news was announced by Kuwait’s foreign ministry on Monday. Kuwait has been mediating between Qatar and four Arab states that launched a boycott in 2017. Here’s everything you need to know about this major development.
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Saudi Arabia Ends Ban On Qatar Ahead Of The Gulf Summit
In mid- 2017, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt had ended diplomatic, trade and transport ties with Qatar over its support of extremist groups intending to destabilise the region. And now, Saudi has made an effort to end the Gulf crises by opening its borders.
#عاجل
سمو #ولي_العهد يؤكد أن قمة مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية ستكون قمة جامعة للكلمة موحدة للصف ومعززة لمسيرة الخير والازدهار، وستترجم من خلالها تطلعات #خادم_الحرمين_الشريفين وإخوانه قادة دول المجلس في لم الشمل والتضامن في مواجهة التحديات التي تشهدها منطقتنا.#واس— واس الأخبار الملكية (@spagov) January 4, 2021
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Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Ahmad Al Sabah said that during a phone call between Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the desire for unity and “reunification was emphasised”.
Sheikh Tamim To Attend The Summit Today
When it comes to opening the borders, the agreement comes right before the Gulf Co-operation Council Summit, which is being held in Saudi Arabia today. And after the border announcement, it was also confirmed that Sheikh Tamim would attend the summit.
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Speaking about the same, Saudi state agency SPA quoted Saudi Arabia’s ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as saying the annual gathering of Gulf leaders would unite Gulf ranks “in the face of challenges facing the region”.
Oman Makes 7-Day Quarantine Compulsory For Travellers
On the other front, Oman is all set to welcome tourists again. And for travellers, it’s now mandatory to quarantine for seven days in the sultanate. Each traveller must produce a negative PCR test before flying and test again on arrival. Besides this, downloading of Oman’s Covid-19 tracking app Tarrasud is also a compulsion.
Well, we hope that this reopening boosts the economy and tourists take enough precautions before entering the country.