Qatar’s ruler was greeted by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on arrival in the kingdom Tuesday for a summit that could yield breakthroughs in a three-year regional crisis.
Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani’s Airbus A340, emblazoned with the word “QATAR” in the emirate’s signature burgundy, landed in Al-Ula, northwestern Saudi Arabia, shortly after 0900 GMT, Saudi state television showed.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani had earlier confirmed his attendance at the GCC summit in Saudi Arabia in a statement, the state media said, for a Gulf Arab summit that is expected to see formal agreement towards ending a dispute that has seen Riyadh and its allies boycott Qatar.
Sheikh Tamim’s participation comes after Kuwait’s foreign minister announced late on Monday that Saudi Arabia will reopen its airspace, as well as its land and sea border, with Qatar, paving the way for a deal towards resolving the Gulf crisis.
In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt accused Qatar, among other things, of supporting terrorism and being too close to Iran, and severed economic and diplomatic ties. They also imposed a land, sea and air blockade on Qatar.
Qatar has repeatedly denied the allegations and said there was “no legitimate justification” for the severance of relations.
Kuwait has been mediating between Qatar and four Arab states.
The summit in Al-Ula, in Saudi Arabia’s northwest, will be attended by Jared Kushner, adviser and son-in-law to United States President Donald Trump, following his diplomatic efforts, a US official said.