Families rejoice as GCC Summit cements the ties that bind Gulf countries

Families rejoice as GCC Summit cements the ties that bind Gulf countries

Author: Tue, 2021-01-05 23:46

 

JEDDAH: Social media in the Gulf region has been flooded with celebratory joy since news broke that Saudi Arabia had reopened its airspace and land and sea borders with Qatar as part of a deal to end a three-year diplomatic crisis. For many, the story is deeply personal.

On Tuesday Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told the GCC Summit in AlUla that the agreement to mend ties with Qatar underscored the importance of solidarity and security among Gulf, Arab and Muslim states.

A public embrace earlier in the day between the Crown Prince and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani at AlUla airport capped the Qatari ruler's arrival on Saudi soil for the first time since 2017.

audi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a meeting with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani at the Maraya Hall in the historic city of Al-Ula on Tuesday. (Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court)

For hundreds of separated families, the significance of the reopening of borders and resumption of travel between Saudi Arabia and Qatar cannot be overstated, given the unique social fabric of the Gulf region, with its cross-border ties of marriage and blood.

Videos surfaced on social media showing men,