Just hours after the historic embrace between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-historic-turn-saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-embraces-qatar-emir-354655">Saudi</a> Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Saudi Arabia said it had reestablished full ties with Qatar.

"What happened today is... the turning of the page on all points of difference and a full return of diplomatic relations," Prince Faisal bin Farhan at the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) summit at al-Ula in Saudi Arabia.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-saudi-arabia-cut-diplomatic-ties-with-qatar-in-2017-354675">Also Read:&nbsp;Why Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in 2017</a>

Leaders of the six-member GCC signed two documents and a final communique as it sought to restore ties with Qatar.

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt had taken part in a three and a half year blockade of Qatar accusing it of siding with radical forces in the region, an allegation it vehemently denied. Qatar's closeness with Iran also angered GCC.

However on Tuesday, the Gulf leaders signed the "solidarity and stability" deal bringing Qatar back into its economic fold.

"The Al-Ula Declaration "affirms our Gulf, Arab and Islamic solidarity and stability," Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said.

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-senior-aide-kushner-and-team-meets-saudi-arabias-mbs-emit-of-qatar-347783">Kushner</a> attended the signing in Al-Ula signifying the influence of the US government in latest peace moves. Amid the new friendship wave, Kuwait said an agreement had been reached to open all borders between Saudi and Qatar with immediate effect.&nbsp;

GCC countries along with Egypt had blocked its airspace to Qatari planes and sealed their borders and port. Qatari citizens were also expelled from various GCC countries.

The GCC countries had put forward a list of 13 demands to Qatar to fulfil at the start of the standoff including the closure of the famous Al Jazeera television and shutting of Turkish military base, however, Qatar has not publicly bowed to any of the demands.

Just hours after the historic embrace between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Saudi Arabia said it had reestablished full ties with Qatar.

Just hours after the historic embrace between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Saudi Arabia said it had reestablished full ties with Qatar. "What happened today is... the turning of the page on all points of difference and a full return of diplomatic relations," Prince Faisal bin Farhan at the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) summit at al-Ula in Saudi Arabia. Also Read: Why Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in 2017 Leaders of the six-member GCC signed two documents and a final communique as it sought to restore ties with Qatar. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt had taken part in a three and a half year blockade of Qatar accusing it of siding with radical forces in the region, an allegation it vehemently denied. Qatar's closeness with Iran also angered GCC. However on Tuesday, the Gulf leaders signed the "solidarity and stability" deal bringing Qatar back into its economic fold. "The Al-Ula Declaration "affirms our Gulf, Arab and Islamic solidarity and stability," Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said. US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner attended the signing in Al-Ula signifying the influence of the US government in latest peace moves. Amid the new friendship wave, Kuwait said an agreement had been reached to open all borders between Saudi and Qatar with immediate effect. GCC countries along with Egypt had blocked its airspace to Qatari planes and sealed their borders and port. Qatari citizens were also expelled from various GCC countries. The GCC countries had put forward a list of 13 demands to Qatar to fulfil at the start of the standoff including the closure of the famous Al Jazeera television and shutting of Turkish military base, however, Qatar has not publicly bowed to any of the demands.

After royal embrace, Saudi Arabia restores full ties with Qatar

The Qatar crisis began in June 2017 when <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-historic-turn-saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-embraces-qatar-emir-354655">Saudi Arabia </a>broke ties with Qatar and in a matter of hours, six more countries followed suit. It was the biggest diplomatic crisis in the region since the Gulf War of 1991.

Saudi Arabia and its allies - Egypt, UAE, Bahrain had announced they would cut diplomatic ties with Qatar a neighbour who wasn't getting along with Saudi Arabia.

Qatar's independent and ambitious foreign policy triggered the fight. It was making moves to step out of the shadow of Saudi Arabia, then the Muslim Brotherhood began to gain ground in Egypt.&nbsp;In 2011, Qatar endorsed it, however, Saudi Arabia did not like the decision.

Riyadh saw the Muslim Brotherhood as a threat to regional stability. It felt their success in Egypt might motivate underground brotherhoods in other countries and challenge the authority of the Kingdoms of the Gulf.

But Qatar disagreed and deepened its engagement with the Muslim Brotherhood. The second flashpoint was Hamas - the Palestinian militant group. Qatar allowed Hamas to operate from its soil even as Saudi Arabia declared it a terrorist organisation.

The third major point of difference was Iran. Qatar supported Iran which the Saudis view as their arch enemy. In 2017, the disagreements came to a head. Saudi Arabia and its allies announced blockade in Qatar cutting diplomatic ties as air, land and sea travel was suspended.

Qatar was given ten days to meet thirteen sweeping demands. Qatar made no major concessions as it managed to tide the wave due to its gas-fuelled wealth.

However, the initial days were a struggle as store shelves went dry and air traffic came to a halt. Qatar arranged new shipping routes to offset the closure of the border with Saudi Arabia.

Cash from Qatar's sovereign wealth fund was deployed to shore up local banks and throughout the negotiations, the Qatari government stuck to its guns. It refused to outsource its foreign policy.

The rift ended up fracturing the Arab world causing real damage to the Gulf as trade and commerce fell apart in the region. Thousands of people had to rush back to their homes overnight to return to Qatar.

Some families were unable to see their relatives on the other side of the divide.

"What’s behind this crisis, of course is Qatar's sovereignty and independence to put it very simply. It is about our foreign policy and about outsourcing our foreign policy so that decisions are not made in Qatar and that is something that will never be acceptable," Sheikh Saif bin Ahmad al-Thani, Qatar's spokesman said.

The Qatar crisis began in June 2017 when Saudi Arabia broke ties with Qatar and in a matter of hours, six more countries followed suit. It was the biggest diplomatic crisis in the region since the Gulf War of 1991.

The Qatar crisis began in June 2017 when Saudi Arabia broke ties with Qatar and in a matter of hours, six more countries followed suit. It was the biggest diplomatic crisis in the region since the Gulf War of 1991. Saudi Arabia and its allies - Egypt, UAE, Bahrain had announced they would cut diplomatic ties with Qatar a neighbour who wasn't getting along with Saudi Arabia. Qatar's independent and ambitious foreign policy triggered the fight. It was making moves to step out of the shadow of Saudi Arabia, then the Muslim Brotherhood began to gain ground in Egypt. In 2011, Qatar endorsed it, however, Saudi Arabia did not like the decision. Riyadh saw the Muslim Brotherhood as a threat to regional stability. It felt their success in Egypt might motivate underground brotherhoods in other countries and challenge the authority of the Kingdoms of the Gulf. But Qatar disagreed and deepened its engagement with the Muslim Brotherhood. The second flashpoint was Hamas - the Palestinian militant group. Qatar allowed Hamas to operate from its soil even as Saudi Arabia declared it a terrorist organisation. The third major point of difference was Iran. Qatar supported Iran which the Saudis view as their arch enemy. In 2017, the disagreements came to a head. Saudi Arabia and its allies announced blockade in Qatar cutting diplomatic ties as air, land and sea travel was suspended. Qatar was given ten days to meet thirteen sweeping demands. Qatar made no major concessions as it managed to tide the wave due to its gas-fuelled wealth. However, the initial days were a struggle as store shelves went dry and air traffic came to a halt. Qatar arranged new shipping routes to offset the closure of the border with Saudi Arabia. Cash from Qatar's sovereign wealth fund was deployed to shore up local banks and throughout the negotiations, the Qatari government stuck to its guns. It refused to outsource its foreign policy. The rift ended up fracturing the Arab world causing real damage to the Gulf as trade and commerce fell apart in the region. Thousands of people had to rush back to their homes overnight to return to Qatar. Some families were unable to see their relatives on the other side of the divide. "What’s behind this crisis, of course is Qatar's sovereignty and independence to put it very simply. It is about our foreign policy and about outsourcing our foreign policy so that decisions are not made in Qatar and that is something that will never be acceptable," Sheikh Saif bin Ahmad al-Thani, Qatar's spokesman said.

Why Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in 2017

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman embraced <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/breakthrough-saudi-arabia-qatar-to-sign-us-brokered-deal-to-ease-gulf-crisis-354486">Qatar's </a>emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, on the airport tarmac in Saudi Arabia as Gulf leaders signed a "solidarity and stability" deal on Tuesday.

Watch:

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Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman opened the Gulf Arab summit at the historic city of Al-Ula as the prince took aim at Iran and lauded a deal towards ending a long-running dispute with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/strong-support-from-president-trump-saudi-arabia-says-final-agreement-with-qatar-within-reach-347759">Qatar</a>.

"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," Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said.

"These efforts ... led to the al-Ula agreement which will be signed at this blessed summit and which confirms Gulf, Arab and Islamic unity and stability," Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler added.

United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain had severed ties with Qatar in 2017 over allegations Doha supported terrorism which it stridently denied.

Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law who has been an active hand in various peace deals in the past few months attended the signing in Al-Ula.

Kuwaiti foreign minister Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah had said on Monday the country has agreed to open the airspace and land and sea borders between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Qatar, starting from this evening" as the Gulf states moved to break the deadlock with Qatar.

Leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC)&nbsp;signed two documents, the Al-Ula declaration and and a final communique. However, the contents of the document wasn't immediately released.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman embraced Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, on the airport tarmac in Saudi Arabia as Gulf leaders signed a "solidarity and stability" deal on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman embraced Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, on the airport tarmac in Saudi Arabia as Gulf leaders signed a "solidarity and stability" deal on Tuesday. Watch: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman opened the Gulf Arab summit at the historic city of Al-Ula as the prince took aim at Iran and lauded a deal towards ending a long-running dispute with Qatar. "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," Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said. "These efforts ... led to the al-Ula agreement which will be signed at this blessed summit and which confirms Gulf, Arab and Islamic unity and stability," Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler added. United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain had severed ties with Qatar in 2017 over allegations Doha supported terrorism which it stridently denied. Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law who has been an active hand in various peace deals in the past few months attended the signing in Al-Ula. Kuwaiti foreign minister Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah had said on Monday the country has agreed to open the airspace and land and sea borders between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Qatar, starting from this evening" as the Gulf states moved to break the deadlock with Qatar. Leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) signed two documents, the Al-Ula declaration and and a final communique. However, the contents of the document wasn't immediately released.

In historic turn, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman embraces Qatar emir

Qatar's three-year-old dispute with Saudi Arabia and three other Arab countries has reached a breakthrough, as per a senior Trump administration official.

The development is the latest in a series of Middle East deals sought by Washington,&nbsp;the others involving Israel and Arab states,&nbsp;aimed at building a united front against Iran.

Earlier, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser al-Sabah said that Saudi Arabia is reopening its land and sea borders with Qatar ending a diplomatic crisis in the Gulf after almost three and a half years.

Saudi state agency SPA quoted Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as saying the annual gathering of Gulf leaders would unite Gulf ranks "in the face of challenges facing the region".

Qatar's ruler, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, will attend, the royal court said. The US&nbsp;official said the Saudi crown prince and Qatari emir would sign the deal.

Qatar's only land border has been mostly closed since mid-2017, when Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain launched a blockade against the tiny Gulf state, accusing it of supporting Islamist groups in the region and of having warm ties with Iran.&nbsp;Qatar denies it and says the embargo aims to undermine its sovereignty.

While Saudi Arabia made clear it intended to lift the blockade, the other three countries did not do so immediately, but the Trump official said: "it's our expectation" they would also join in lifting the blockade. Under the emerging agreement, Qatar will suspend lawsuits related to the blockade, the official said.

All of the countries involved in the deals are US&nbsp;allies. Qatar hosts the region’s largest US&nbsp;military base, Bahrain is home to the US&nbsp;Navy’s Fifth Fleet, and Saudi Arabia and the UAE host US&nbsp;troops.

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, assigned to work on the dispute by US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, helped negotiate the deal and was working the phones on it until the wee hours of Monday morning, the official said.

When in December Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said a resolution to the dispute seemed within reach, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a Twitter post said he hoped Gulf reconciliation “contributes to the stability and political and economic development for all peoples of our region.”

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said in a Twitter post that Tuesday's summit would restore Gulf unity and that "more work lies ahead and we are moving in the right direction".&nbsp;

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نحن أمام قمة تاريخية بامتياز في العلا نعيد من خلالها اللحمة الخليجية ونحرص عبرها أن يكون أمن وإستقرار وإزدهار دولنا وشعوبنا الأولوية الأولى، أمامنا المزيد من العمل ونحن في الإتجاه الصحيح.
— د. أنور قرقاش (@AnwarGargash) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnwarGargash/status/1346183467340599298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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On Monday, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it welcomed the move by Saudi Arabia and called it an important step towards resolving the dispute.

“Our hope is that this dispute reaches a comprehensive and lasting resolution based on mutual respect for the countries’ sovereignty and that other sanctions against the people of Qatar are lifted as soon as possible,” it said, adding that Turkey supported all efforts to bring stability to the Gulf region.

Kushner, Middle East envoy Avi Berkowitz and Brian Hook, a special State Department adviser, were flying to the Saudi Arabian city of al-Ula to attend the ceremony, the US&nbsp;official said.

If the deal holds, the Gulf dispute will be added to a string of diplomatic achievements of the Kushner team, a list that includes normalization deals last year between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

Kushner, who is also Trump's son-in-law, has been working on more normalization deals between Israel and Arab countries but may run out of time with President-elect Joe Biden due to take over the presidency on Jan. 20.

"It's just a massive breakthrough," the US&nbsp;official said. "The blockade will be lifted. It will allow for travel amongst the countries as well as goods. It will lead to more stability in the region."

Diplomats in the region have said that Saudi Arabia was keen by pushing a deal to resolve the dispute to demonstrate to Biden that they are peacemakers and open to dialogue.

The United States has about 10,000 troops in Qatar, which is home to Al Udeid Air Base. There are thousands of more troops in the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Qatar's three-year-old dispute with Saudi Arabia and three other Arab countries has reached a breakthrough, as per a senior Trump administration official. The development is the latest in a series of Middle East deals sought by Washington, the others involving Israel and Arab states, aimed at building a united front against Iran.

Qatar's three-year-old dispute with Saudi Arabia and three other Arab countries has reached a breakthrough, as per a senior Trump administration official. The development is the latest in a series of Middle East deals sought by Washington, the others involving Israel and Arab states, aimed at building a united front against Iran. Earlier, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser al-Sabah said that Saudi Arabia is reopening its land and sea borders with Qatar ending a diplomatic crisis in the Gulf after almost three and a half years. Saudi state agency SPA quoted Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as saying the annual gathering of Gulf leaders would unite Gulf ranks "in the face of challenges facing the region". Qatar's ruler, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, will attend, the royal court said. The US official said the Saudi crown prince and Qatari emir would sign the deal. Qatar's only land border has been mostly closed since mid-2017, when Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain launched a blockade against the tiny Gulf state, accusing it of supporting Islamist groups in the region and of having warm ties with Iran. Qatar denies it and says the embargo aims to undermine its sovereignty. While Saudi Arabia made clear it intended to lift the blockade, the other three countries did not do so immediately, but the Trump official said: "it's our expectation" they would also join in lifting the blockade. Under the emerging agreement, Qatar will suspend lawsuits related to the blockade, the official said. All of the countries involved in the deals 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. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, assigned to work on the dispute by US President Donald Trump, helped negotiate the deal and was working the phones on it until the wee hours of Monday morning, the official said. When in December Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said a resolution to the dispute seemed within reach, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a Twitter post said he hoped Gulf reconciliation “contributes to the stability and political and economic development for all peoples of our region.” UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said in a Twitter post that Tuesday's summit would restore Gulf unity and that "more work lies ahead and we are moving in the right direction". نحن أمام قمة تاريخية بامتياز في العلا نعيد من خلالها اللحمة الخليجية ونحرص عبرها أن يكون أمن وإستقرار وإزدهار دولنا وشعوبنا الأولوية الأولى، أمامنا المزيد من العمل ونحن في الإتجاه الصحيح. — د. أنور قرقاش (@AnwarGargash) January 4, 2021 × On Monday, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it welcomed the move by Saudi Arabia and called it an important step towards resolving the dispute. “Our hope is that this dispute reaches a comprehensive and lasting resolution based on mutual respect for the countries’ sovereignty and that other sanctions against the people of Qatar are lifted as soon as possible,” it said, adding that Turkey supported all efforts to bring stability to the Gulf region. Kushner, Middle East envoy Avi Berkowitz and Brian Hook, a special State Department adviser, were flying to the Saudi Arabian city of al-Ula to attend the ceremony, the US official said. If the deal holds, the Gulf dispute will be added to a string of diplomatic achievements of the Kushner team, a list that includes normalization deals last year between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. Kushner, who is also Trump's son-in-law, has been working on more normalization deals between Israel and Arab countries but may run out of time with President-elect Joe Biden due to take over the presidency on Jan. 20. "It's just a massive breakthrough," the US official said. "The blockade will be lifted. It will allow for travel amongst the countries as well as goods. It will lead to more stability in the region." Diplomats in the region have said that Saudi Arabia was keen by pushing a deal to resolve the dispute to demonstrate to Biden that they are peacemakers and open to dialogue. The United States has about 10,000 troops in Qatar, which is home to Al Udeid Air Base. There are thousands of more troops in the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

'Breakthrough': Saudi Arabia, Qatar to sign US-brokered deal to ease Gulf crisis