While ice-breaking is going on: Qatar’s Emir arrived in Saudi Arabia with a delegation, which is the first visit in three years since diplomatic relations are severed.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed welcomes Tamim, Emir of Qatar

On January 5th local time, Tamim, the Emir of Qatar (Head of State), led a Qatari delegation to the ancient city of Euler, Saudi Arabia, to participate in the 41st summit of the Cooperation Council for Arab States in the Gulf (GCC).

This is Tamim’s first visit to Saudi Arabia after Saudi Arabia announced that it would sever diplomatic relations with Qatar in June 2017.

According to Saudi Arabian TV on the 5th, the Saudi Crown Prince received the Gulf Head of State and his delegation to the 41st GCC Summit on the same day. The delegation of Qatar, led by the Emir of Qatar himself, was warmly welcomed.

On December 30, 2020, Qatar News Agency reported that Emir Tamim received a letter from King Salman of Saudi Arabia on the same day, who invited Tamim to attend the GCC summit held in Saudi Arabia on the 5th of this month.

Salman also invited Tamim to attend the 40th GCC summit in Saudi Arabia in December 2019, but Tamim did not go, but appointed Abdullah, then Prime Minister and Home Secretary of Qatar, to attend the meeting in his place.

Founded in 1981, the GCC is headquartered in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Its member countries include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. It is the main political and economic security organization in the Gulf region.

On June 5, 2017, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain took the lead in severing diplomatic relations with Qatar on the grounds of destabilizing the region, followed by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Libya and Yemen immediately.

Saudi Arabia, which borders Qatar, also closed its land, sea and air borders. These six Middle Eastern countries believe that Qatar supports terrorist organizations, including the extremist organization Islamic State. However, Qatar denied this allegation.