Gulf leaders sign agreement to end three-year spat with Qatar

Agencies | Riyadh

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has announced that GCC member states have agreed on a ‘solidarity and stability’ deal to end the three-year diplomatic spat with Qatar.

Gulf leaders are meeting in Saudi Arabia for their annual summit on Tuesday amid a breakthrough in the long-running dispute between a Saudi-led bloc and Qatar.

Saudi Arabia on Monday announced the reopening of land borders with Qatar after a three and a half-year spat that saw the kingdom, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain cut diplomatic and trade ties and impose a land, sea and air blockade on the Gulf state.

The quartet accused Doha of, among other things, supporting terrorist groups and being too close to Iran, allegations that Qatar has consistently denied.

While the Saudi decision marks a major milestone towards resolving the Gulf crisis, the path to full reconciliation is far from guaranteed. The rift between Abu Dhabi and Doha has been deepest, with the UAE and Qatar at sharp ideological odds.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that there was a desperate need for a unified Gulf region, after the signing of the “solidarity and stability” deal.

“These efforts helped us reach the agreement of the Al-Ula statement that will be signed at this summit, where we affirm our Gulf, Arab and Islamic solidarity and stability,” he told the GCC meeting, thanking the United States and Kuwait for their mediation.

“There is a desperate need today to unite our efforts to promote our region and to confront challenges that surround us, especially the threats posed by the Iranian regime’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme and its plans for sabotage and destruction.”

Leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council signed two documents, the Al-Ula declaration, named after the Saudi city where the summit was held, and a final communique. The content of the documents was not immediately available.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum called the GCC summit “positive”.

“Today, I took part in the Al Ula Summit of the GCC leaders … a positive summit unifying ranks and establishing fraternity under the patronage of King Salman and his Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman … Changes and challenges surrounding us require genuine Gulf strength, cohesion and cooperation as well as Arab depth and stability,” he posted on Twitter.

More details to follow.