5″ January” 2021″ SOURCE : AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
Gulf leaders sign agreement to end their three-year diplomatic rift with Qatar at GCC summit in Saudi Arabia.
Gulf leaders signed a “solidarity and stability” agreement in Saudi Arabia as they met for the Gulf Cooperation Council annual summit on Tuesday.
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.
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.
43 mins ago (13:39 GMT)
Qatar leads broader gains on breakthrough in Gulf rift
Qatar shares ended 1.4 percent higher, marking the index’s biggest gain in nearly a month, after the breakthrough deal in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi shares finished 0.2 percent higher, as the Dubai benchmark gained for a third successive session, putting on 1.2 percent. In Abu Dhabi, the benchmark strengthened 0.6 percent.
1 hour ago (12:54 GMT)
Gulf leaders sign an agreement to end their three-year spat with Qatar
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.
3 hours ago (11:09 GMT)
Saudi meeting prelude to wider talks
Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Doha, said Tuesday’s GCC summit will likely set the tone for wider talks that would take place in the short to medium term to resolve other outstanding issues.
“It is a crucial gathering because this when they will have to start talking about some of the outstanding elements” Ahelbarra said.
“They will have to decide on the modalities of the agreement. Later, they will have to say that the core issues are ones that will need some time to solve because we are talking about a wide range of issues that have to do with the region and other parts of the world.”
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.
43 mins ago (13:39 GMT)
Qatar leads broader gains on breakthrough in Gulf rift
Qatar shares ended 1.4 percent higher, marking the index’s biggest gain in nearly a month, after the breakthrough deal in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi shares finished 0.2 percent higher, as the Dubai benchmark gained for a third successive session, putting on 1.2 percent. In Abu Dhabi, the benchmark strengthened 0.6 percent.
1 hour ago (12:54 GMT)
Gulf leaders sign an agreement to end their three-year spat with Qatar
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.
3 hours ago (11:09 GMT)
Saudi meeting prelude to wider talks
Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Doha, said Tuesday’s GCC summit will likely set the tone for wider talks that would take place in the short to medium term to resolve other outstanding issues.
“It is a crucial gathering because this when they will have to start talking about some of the outstanding elements” Ahelbarra said.
“They will have to decide on the modalities of the agreement. Later, they will have to say that the core issues are ones that will need some time to solve because we are talking about a wide range of issues that have to do with the region and other parts of the world.”
5 hours ago (09:40 GMT)
Calm at Qatar-Saudi border crossing as regional meeting gets under way
The Abu Samra border crossing between Saudi Arabia and Qatar was quiet on Tuesday morning as a summit of the regional Gulf Cooperation Council got underway.
“It’s still quiet at the border. No facilities have been set up yet for dealing with COVID-requirements – temperature check and testing,” said Al Jazeera’s Sorin Furcoi, reporting from Abu Samra.
“People are still coming to the border point to inquire as to whether they can actually across but according to officials, there still hasn’t been any crossing on either side.”
Qatar’s ruler was warmly greeted by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on arrival in the kingdom for Tuesday’s GCC summit.
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.
Qatari stocks see sharp rise amid hopes of Gulf reconciliation
Asian stocks headed higher on Tuesday with Chinese stocks getting a boost after the New York Stock Exchange made a surprise about-turn on its decision to delist the shares of three of China’s biggest telecommunications companies.
Qatari stocks were also up sharply on hopes of a resolution to the years-long dispute with its Gulf neighbours, while crude oil investors were waiting for the outcome of a meeting of the world’s top producers to determine output levels.
Shares rose despite uncertainty about Senate runoffs in the US state of Georgia, which could have a big impact on incoming US President Joe Biden’s ability to pursue his preferred economic policies.
6 hours ago (08:29 GMT)
Al Arabiya: Egypt says it will open its airspace with Qatar pending fulfillment of demands
Citing unnamed sources, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya reported that Egypt will open its airspace with Qatar, adding that “implementation will be contingent on the fulfillment of Egyptian requirements”.
The Dubai-based news outlet gave no details on what demands the Egyptian government was after
7 hours ago (07:29 GMT)
Calm at Saudi-Qatar land border
The Abu Samra border crossing between Saudi Arabia and Qatar was quiet on Tuesday morning, several hours after Kuwait announced the border was open.
It is not yet clear what the rules are for crossing the border, however, Qatar is not allowing non-resident visitors into the country as part of COVID-19 restrictions.
“There still has been no crossings after yesterday’s announcement,” Al Jazeera’s Sorin Furcoi said, reporting from the border. “It’s even quieter than last night. They also don’t allow the press to hang around for too long in the customs area.”
SOURCE : AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES