BEIRUT, LEBANON (12:00 P.M.) – On Friday, the United Arab Emirates announced the reopening of the land, sea and air ports with the State of Qatar, thus ending the nearly four-year-long siege on the small Gulf nation.
Khalid Abdullah Belhoul, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said that the UAE will begin to end all measures taken against Qatar, according to the statement issued on June 5, 2017.
This follows the signing of the “Al-Ula Statement” that includes the permanent solidarity agreement, which is considered a Gulf and Arab achievement that strengthens the unity and cohesion of the Gulf, Arab and Islamic ranks.
He added that the UAE will work to reopen all land, sea and air ports for incoming and outgoing movement, and that the relevant authorities in the UAE have been instructed with these measures, which will be activated as of January 9.
While the agreement has restored ties between the Gulf Cooperation Council nations, tensions still remain between Qatar and Bahrain, as the two countries have been involved in border disputes over the last few months.
