Saudi Arabia said Thursday it is reopening its border with Qatar to allow Qataris to attend the hajj amid a monthslong rift between the neighboring countries that led to both sides trading accusations of politicizing the ritual – Press photo
CAIRO – 19 August 2017: The reopening of the Salwa border crossing between Saudi Arabia and Qatar has been welcomed as a kindhearted gesture by the Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz to help Qatari pilgrims perform Hajj.
The decision to reopen the border and dispatch an aircraft to Doha was submitted to the king by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who earlier met Qatari Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al-Thani at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah.
The meeting was the first with a Qatari leader since the start of the boycott against Qatar in June.
The decision came despite of an ongoing rift between Doha and the anti-terror quartet of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, Saudi Arabia announced.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali is the second son of the late Emir Ali bin Abdullah Al-Thani, the grandson of the Emir of Qatar, Abdullah bin Jassim Al-Thani, and the brother of Sheikh Ahmed bin Ali Al-Thani, who was overthrown by his cousin Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al-Thani, grandfather of Prince Tamim bin Hamad on February 22, 1972.
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz stressed the Kingdom’s keenness to provide required services for pilgrims and facilitate the performance of the hajj rituals.
For his part, Sheikh Abdullah expressed his appreciation to his approval to open the Salwa border crossing for the entry of Qatari pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's territories without electronic permits.
Sheikh Abdullah used his Twitter account to extend his appreciation to the Saudi king, he also referred to a special operations room staffed by Saudis to cater to Qataris’ affairs and will be under his supervision while countries’ ties are currently severed.
He denied all rumors that the Saudi Kingdom has banned transactions via Qatari Riyal.
The official Saudi Press Agency reported that Qatari pilgrims will be allowed to enter the kingdom by land and would then be flown onward from two Saudi airports in Dammam and al-Ahsa at the king's expense.
The special operations room will serve all requests from Qatari pilgrims and their relatives should they wish to arrange their affairs.
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