Qatar and Saudi Arabia Reopened Their Airspace

September 1, 2021 | blog

Qatar was blocked by all the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries back in 2017. That’s because it was linked to some terrorist activities. The blockage has affected many families as well as businesses. But now Saudi Arabia as well as UAE have decided to reopen its borders for Qatar again.

The Announcement of Reopening Airspaces for Qatar

Ahmad Nasser Mohammed al Sabah, the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister said that because of the recommendation of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Nawaf al Ahmad al Sabah, both countries agreed to reopen the maritime and air borders between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. He also said that it all happened because of the discussion held between Emir of Qatar, Emir of Kuwait, and Saudi crown prince MBS (Muhammad Bin Salman). It all happened only one day before the Gulf Cooperation Council meeting hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The representatives of the following countries take place in GCC meeting:

Bahrain
Kuwait
Oman
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates

Now after three years, Qatar has also taken part in that meeting.

Effects of the Borders Reopening Between Qatar and Saudi Arabia

The effects of this event are very strong as the GCC summit mainly focused on the unity and cohesion of the whole region. SPA (Saudi Press Agency) reported that the Saudi Crown Prince hopes that it will help the whole region to face all the challenges more efficiently and effectively.

Why was Qatar Blocked?

As mentioned, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia broke off relations with Qatar back in 2017. That because of reason that Qatar was accused to support terrorism in the region and destabilizing it. On the other hand, Qatar rejected the accusation by calling them baseless and unjustified. It’s important to note here that Qatar is the only country that shares the border with Saudi Arabia.

Role of Kuwait and the United States

But now finally, the two countries have worked to close the rift. Moreover, both of the countries have also taken significant and appreciable steps to reconcile and give credit to Kuwait and the US. The officials from Qatar as well as Saudi Arabia state that both of the countries made significant progress in the recent year. But they thank the continuing efforts of Kuwaiti Emir as well as Ex-President Trump along with the United States administration to bring both of the countries together.

Moreover, the under-secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Khalid Abdullah Belhoul said that the UAE has also reopened all of its land, air, and sea borders for Qatar as well. Just like the KSA and other GULF countries the UAE closed its borders for Qatar because of the same allegations back in 2017. But now the travel, transport and trade are restoring to reunite the whole region.

Final Word the Borders Reopening Between Qatar and Saudi Arabia

It is undoubtedly one of the biggest news for the GCC region. The critics and experts expect that it has the potential to put an end to the crisis that the GCC region is dealing with.