The blockade of Qatar is set to end after Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to reopen land and sea borders, as well as airspace to Qatar.
Saudi Arabia has reopened its borders and airspace for Qatar. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Tuesday that the Gulf states had signed an agreement on regional "solidarity and stability" at a summit in the Saudi desert town of Al-Ula.
Tensions between the two countries escalated in mid-2, when Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar. The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt have joined the blockade. The four countries have accused Doha of supporting radical Islamist movements and of approaching Iran, a rival to Saudi Arabia.
Qatar, which is home to the region's largest US military base, said the boycott was aimed at undermining the country's national sovereignty. The nation has about 2.3 million inhabitants, most of whom are expats. Qatar also shares the only land border with Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has reopened its borders and airspace for Qatar
In July 2020, Qatar Airways asked the International Court of Arbitration to impose a $ 5 billion fine on countries that imposed the blockade. In November, a UK court allowed the airline to sue Saudi Arabia-owned Al Arabiya television station for its animations showing Qatar Airways being shot down by an unmarked fighter jet.
The agreement also contains 13 other demands that Qatar must comply with, including banning the Al Jazeera news network, ending ties with Iran and abandoning lawsuits against all those involved.
With the lifting of the restrictions, Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad Int'l) will be able to transit each region, thus eliminating the need for long flight routes around the Arabian Peninsula, when heading to destinations in Africa and Europe.