Embracing Qatar's ruler, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince pushed a deal to end a bitter row with Doha at a Gulf Arab summit, although a final declaration contained only a general pledge of solidarity.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) welcoming Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani (left) upon his arrival in al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, for the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit on January 5, 2021. Photo: AFP / Saudi Royal Palace / Bandar Al-Jaloud
The kingdom's foreign minister said Riyadh and its Arab allies agreed to restore ties with Doha to end a boycott imposed in mid-2017 and strengthen a Gulf Arab alliance against Tehran.
While the communique contained no detailed confirmation of a deal, the apparent breakthrough signalled hope for mending a rift between major US allies two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office and at a time of regional tensions with Iran.
"There is political will and good faith" to guarantee implementation of the deal, Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud told a news conference, saying the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt had all agreed to restore ties with Doha.
His Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, tweeted that leaders "closed the page on disagreement ... and seek to open a new page" of solidarity.
But UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash voiced a more cautious view in remarks to Al Arabiya TV, saying "we need to be realistic about the need to restore confidence and cohesion". He later told Sky News Arabia there was a timeline for ending the conflict, but gave no details.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States welcomed what he called a "breakthrough to restore Gulf and Arab unity."
He added: "We hope the Gulf countries will continue to reconcile their differences. Restoring full diplomatic relations is imperative for all parties in the region to unite against common threats."
The emerging deal followed mediation efforts by the United States and Kuwait, and a US official has said Qatar would suspend legal cases related to the boycott.
Ahead of the gathering in the historic city of al-Ula, which was also attended by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, Kuwait announced that Saudi Arabia would reopen its airspace and borders to Qatar. The other three nations have yet to announce similar moves.
'Defining moment'
In a gesture of reconciliation, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, hugged on the tarmac before heading to the summit venue in a mirrored building reflecting the desert landscape.
Sheikh Tamim later tweeted that the summit, which included Egypt, was a "defining moment" for the Gulf bloc.
Saudi de facto ruler Prince Mohammed, who chaired the short event instead of his father King Salman, said the al-Ula agreement "confirms Gulf, Arab and Islamic unity and stability."
He called for serious global action to address a threat he said was posed by Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and its "subversive and destructive plans".
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar over allegations Doha supports terrorism and is cosying up to foe Iran. Qatar denies the charges and says the embargo aims to curtail its sovereignty.
Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a Twitter post congratulated Qatar for "the success of its brave resistance to pressure & extortion."
Working the phones
President Donald Trump's administration has been pushing for a resolution and reopening air space. Kushner was making phone calls on the emerging deal until the early hours of Monday, the US official had said.
Senior advisor to US President Jared Kushner (left) meeting with Qatar's ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in the capital Doha as shown in a picture released on December 2, 2020. Photo: Qatar News Agency / AFP
Diplomats and analysts said Riyadh was also pushing reluctant allies to show Biden that the kingdom is open to dialogue. Biden has said he will take a harder line with the kingdom over issues including its human rights record and the Yemen war.
"This [deal] is seemingly influenced by a desire to pre-empt pressure from an incoming Biden administration, more than a genuine commitment to conflict resolution," said Emadeddin Badi, nonresident senior fellow at Atlantic Council.
"The detente within the GCC is very unlikely to significantly affect geopolitical dynamics beyond the Gulf."
All the states are US allies. Qatar hosts the region's largest US military base, Bahrain is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, and Saudi Arabia and the UAE host US troops.
The other countries had set Doha 13 demands, including closing Al Jazeera TV, shuttering a Turkish base, cutting links to the Muslim Brotherhood and downgrading ties with Iran.
-Reuters