Saudi Arabia and Qatar Agree to Reopen Borders After 3 Years and 7 Months of Diplomatic Break

"First Step in Resolving Diplomatic Crisis in Gulf Countries"
Kuwait and the United States Play Key Mediation Role

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the ruler of Qatar [Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which had severed diplomatic ties, agreed on the 4th (local time) to reopen their borders. This comes after more than three years and seven months since Arab countries cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting Islamic terrorist organizations and maintaining friendly relations with Iran. This is expected to mark the end of disputes among Gulf countries.

According to AP News and others, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Saudi Arabia and Qatar agreed to open all borders, including airspace, land, and sea, starting from the evening of the same day. Qatar's ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, is scheduled to attend the annual Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit held on the 5th in Al-Ula, a city in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where he will sign the agreement and announce the related details.

AP described the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Qatar as the first step toward resolving the diplomatic crisis among Gulf countries. Other foreign media explained that this move ends the unprecedented conflict that lasted over three years among Gulf countries and the tensions among U.S. allies.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain, all U.S. allies, severed diplomatic ties with Qatar in June 2017, citing support for Islamic terrorist organizations and friendly relations with Iran. At that time, all exchanges including transportation and diplomacy were cut off, dealing a blow to Qatar, which subsequently clashed repeatedly with the four Arab countries. The four Arab countries proposed conditions for reopening borders with Qatar, including providing information on terrorism suspects, shutting down Qatar's state-run Al Jazeera network, and banning exchanges except for limited commercial transactions with Iran. However, Qatar rejected these demands, calling them unfair infringements on its sovereignty.

Kuwait and the United States played key roles in resolving this situation. News of the agreement was first disclosed through Kuwait. Ahmed Nasser Mohammed Al-Sabah, Kuwait's Minister of Foreign Affairs, acted as a mediator by personally shuttling between the two countries to deliver messages, according to AP.

In the case of the United States, Jared Kushner, senior White House advisor and son-in-law of President Donald Trump, was involved in the negotiations. It is reported that he maintained direct contact with Saudi Arabia and others until the morning of the day the agreement was announced, striving to resolve the dispute. Foreign media explained that ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on the 20th of this month, the Trump administration pressured Gulf countries to secure diplomatic achievements, focusing on strengthening relations among Arab allies to counter Iran.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.