Saudi Arabia invites Qatari emir to strengthen newly resumed ties

Qatar and Saudi Arabia are meeting for the second time since the two countries resumed diplomatic relations in January after three years of dispute. According to a statement issued by state media, Saudi Crown Prince and ruler of the Saudi kingdom, Mohammed bin Salman, received his Qatari counterpart, Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in Jeddah on the Red Sea. 

The meeting, which was scheduled by Saudi Arabia, is intended to discuss bilateral relations and other issues of "common interest", the official Qatar news agency reported. 

The Arab Weekly reports that a Saudi diplomatic source said the two kingdoms will hold a summit to discuss the situation in the Gulf region in light of international developments, including the nuclear talks with Iran and the ongoing clashes in Jerusalem, which have been marked by a violent Israeli response to Palestinian protests in the Al-Aqsa mosque, the Bab al-Amud area and the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood. They will also discuss the situation in Yemen and recent developments in the Afghan peace process. They say the talks will cover 'bilateral relations and ways to improve them in all fields for the benefit of the two countries'.

Saudi Arabia and its allies had severed diplomatic relations with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of being linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran and supporting radical Islamist groups, something Qatar has always denied. However, during the Gulf diplomatic crisis, Qatar maintained good relations with Iran and steered clear of the tensions that dominated the relationship between Tehran and most Gulf Arab capitals in recent years.

Tehran and Riyadh ended their relationship in 2016 after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions following the Kingdom's execution of Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. In recent years, Saudi Arabia and Iran have backed opposing sides in several regional conflicts, from Syria to Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is fighting Houthi militias.

However, last January, the two countries agreed to resume relations after intense diplomatic activity by the administration of former US president Donald Trump. Sheikh Tamim's visit to Saudi Arabia marks the first since the Kingdom's Al-Ula reconciliation summit in January this year, allowing Qatar to regain its place in the region.

Since the reconciliation, there have been considerable steps towards normality including the resumption of air travel between the former adversaries and the reopening of Qatar's only land border with Saudi Arabia.

In late April, Sheikh Tamim received Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, who handed him an invitation from King Salman to visit the Kingdom, the latest sign of improving relations between the two countries.

For its part, Iran's foreign ministry confirmed for the first time that the Islamic Republic is holding talks with regional rival Saudi Arabia, but said it is "too early" to discuss the outcome. However, Riyadh had opposed the nuclear deal between global powers and Iran for failing to address Tehran's missile programme and regional behaviour.

Last week, Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said Gulf Arab states and Iran need to agree on a format to address concerns and ease regional tensions. "The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) needs to sit down with Iran and agree on a regional format between us to address the concerns of the GCC and any concerns that Iran also has," he said. 

In recent months, Saudi Arabia has been working to strengthen relations with Qatar.