Reuters: Jared Kushner to attend GCC Summit after Qatar dispute breakthrough

Reuters: Jared Kushner to attend GCC Summit after Qatar dispute breakthrough

Author: ReutersID: 1609791995640359200Mon, 2021-01-04 19:36

WASHINGTON/RIYADH: A breakthrough has been reached in Qatar's three-year-old dispute with Saudi Arabia and three other Arab countries and an agreement aimed at ending their rift is to be signed in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, a senior Trump administration official said.

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.

As part of the deal, Saudi Arabia will reopen its airspace and land and sea border to Qatar as of Monday, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah said on Kuwait TV ahead of a Gulf Arab summit in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said 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.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have imposed a diplomatic, trade and travel embargo on Qatar since mid-2017 accusing it of supporting terrorism. Qatar denies it and says the embargo aims to undermine its