DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman welcomed on Tuesday the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to Al-Ula ahead of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, as the Qatari leader stepped off the plane.
The two men embraced and then spoke briefly before walking down the red carpet to a waiting car.
The moment the Qatari Emir and Saudi Crown Prince met for the first time since the historic agreement reached the night before. (AFP)
Saudi Arabia reopened its airspace and land and sea borders with Qatar on Monday, in a breakthrough agreement aimed at ending the three-year diplomatic dispute with Doha. The full deal is expected to be signed at the annual summit in AlUla.
Other GCC leaders arrived at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ula ahead of the 41st summit on Tuesday.
Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Monday the summit would create a united front, would bolster peace and prosperity and lead to a closing of ranks to promote solidarity in the face of regional challenges.
#LIVE: Leaders of the six Nations that form the GCC start to arrive at Saudi Arabia’s #Alula for #GCCSummit41https://t.co/0sMeAX6iv9
— Arab News (@arabnews) January 5, 2021
Discussions during the summit are excepted to cover the current on-going war in Yemen between the Iran-backed Houthi militia and forces under President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, as well as relations with the US and president-elect Joe Biden.
The moment the Kuwait leader arrived. (AFP)
Meanwhile, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is expected to take part in GCC summit in Saudi Arabia, an official source told Reuters news agency.
Later the men posed for photos outside the vast mirrored building that is the venue for the summit in the Al-Ula valley in Saudi Arabia's desert.
