UAE announces reopening of borders to Qatar on Saturday

UAE announces reopening of borders to Qatar on Saturday

DUBAI - The United Arab Emirates announced on Friday that it would reopen its land, air and sea borders with Qatar on Saturday.

The official WAM news agency quoted Khalid Abdullah Belhoul, undersecretary of the UAE foreign ministry, as saying that “the UAE will begin to end all measures taken against the State of Qatar according to the statement issued on 5th June, 2017, following the signing of the Al-Ula Declaration.”

Belhoul noted that “the Al-Ula Declaration, and the associated permanent agreement of GCC solidarity, is considered a Gulf and Arab achievement that promotes and bolsters the cohesion of the GCC, Arab and Islamic unity.”

He indicated that the UAE will work “to re-open all land, sea and air ports for inbound and outbound movement, and that all relevant authorities in the UAE have been notified of these measures which will go into effect as of 9 January.”

Belhoul added the UAE “will work with the State of Qatar to resolve all other outstanding issues through bilateral talks,” indicating that the restoration of full diplomatic relations with Qatar would take longer than resuming air connections.

Opposition to Qatar's support for Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood runs deeper in the UAE than in Saudi Arabia,