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.
