Leaders and diplomats from the Gulf countries are expected to sign an agreement to end the GCC Crisis.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will officially be attending the 41st GCC summit in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the Amiri Diwan confirmed on Monday evening.
The Amir will also be joined by Senior US advisor and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ula, where an agreement to end the three-year GCC dispute is expected to be signed.
Also joining the Qatari leader is Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud al Said who will represent the sultanate on behalf of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. Kuwait’s Amir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah will also attend.
Meanwhile, Bahrain’s state news agency on Monday said the king will not attend this year’s summit and will be represented by his son and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
The UAE has yet to announce who will represent it at the meeting, while Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has yet to confirm his attendance.
Read also: Qatar-Saudi land border crossing ‘preparing to reopen’: Sources
The latest developments came after Kuwait confirmed the lifting of the Qatar blockade after more than three years.
Saudi Arabia agreed to open its land border with Qatar on Monday, Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah said.
The Kuwaiti diplomat stated that the opening of the water and land borders will begin on Monday, hours ahead of the much-anticipated 41st GCC Summit.
Both Saudi Arabia and Qatar have reached an agreement which led to the end of the embargo on the Gulf peninsula.
Meanwhile, a senior US official from the Trump administration also confirmed the news, saying an agreement to end the GCC crisis will be signed at the summit in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, according to a Reuters report.
Commenting on the news, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that the GCC summit “will be an inclusive” and “uniting” event that will reflect aspirations towards reunification and solidarity.
Breakthrough
On December 2, following Kushner’s visit to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, sources revealed that a breakthrough to end the crisis was imminent.
Also in December, Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani confirmed Doha was negotiating with Saudi Arabia only, which it said “represents the countries involved in the dispute”.
The Saudi Press Agency [SPA] also issued a statement saying that Riyadh is committed to its role in ensuring the GCC’s unity.
“Since the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981 AD, the Kingdom has embarked on a balanced approach that supports every effort and supports every move that contributes to achieving common goals and aspirations,” read the statement.
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