Qataris begin entering Saudi Arabia via border crossing as years-long regional dispute ends
- Saudi state television Al-Ekhbariya on Saturday broadcast footage of Qatari cars entering the kingdom via the Salwa border crossing
- Qatar said arrivals through its border crossing with Saudi Arabia starting on Saturday will undergo coronavirus-related measures
Qataris began entering Saudi Arabia on Saturday via a border crossing that was opened just days after a deal was reached to end a years-long regional diplomatic dispute.
Leaders of three Gulf countries – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain – as well as Egypt signed a declaration with Qatar on Tuesday at an annual Gulf summit, ending a rift that lasted for three-and-a-half years.
On the eve of the summit, Saudi Arabia agreed to reopen its air, sea and land borders with Qatar – a breakthrough in the Gulf crisis.
In 2017, the quartet severed diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting Islamist militant groups, an accusation that Doha denies.
Kuwait and the United States had been mediating for reconciliation.
Saudi state television Al-Ekhbariya on Saturday broadcast footage of Qatari cars entering the kingdom via the Salwa border crossing.
“Thank God, the crisis has been resolved,” a Qatari man in his car told the broadcaster. “I appreciate the warm welcome by our brothers.”
Some 68 cars entered Saudi Arabia via the crossing, while 20 others departed to Qatar on Saturday, a Saudi customs official said.
“The crossing is in full operation. We welcome Qatari citizens,” the head of customs at the Salwa crossing, Ali al-Aklabi, told Al-Ekhbariya.
Qatar meanwhile said arrivals through its border crossing with Saudi Arabia starting on Saturday will undergo coronavirus-related measures.
They include undergoing a Covid-19 test and obtaining a virus-free certificate no more than 72 hours before travel.
All arrivals will also be subject to hotel quarantine for one week, Qatar's Government Communications Office added in an online statement.
Later Saturday, Saudi Arabia's national carrier said it would resume flying to Qatar starting on Monday, in a fresh sign of the thaw in ties.
Saudia will operate flights from the Saudi capital Riyadh and the Saudi port city of Jeddah to the Qatari capital Doha, the airline said on its Twitter account.
On Thursday, the Qatari state airline said it had started using Saudi airspace.
The dispute was one of the most serious experienced by the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) since it was created in 1981.
The US-allied bloc is made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE.
