Qatari emir, Saudi crown prince and Emirati NSA hold ‘brotherly meeting’ at Red Sea

Published September 18, 2021
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz (C) is seen with UAE’s National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani (L). Picture courtesy: Bader Al Asaker/Twitter
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz (C) is seen with UAE’s National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani (L). Picture courtesy: Bader Al Asaker/Twitter

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a “brotherly” meeting at the Red Sea on Friday.

Director of the Private Office of the Saudi Crown Prince, Badr Al Asaker, shared a picture of the three on Twitter.

“A friendly and brotherly meeting in the Red Sea brings together Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, and the UAE National Security Adviser in the UAE, Sheikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan,” Al Asaker wrote on Twitter.

Last month, the UAE's national security adviser had also met Qatar's emir in Doha in the first such visit in four years following this year's deal to end a bitter dispute, according to Reuters.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt had imposed a diplomatic, trade and travel embargo on Qatar since mid-2017 accusing it of supporting terrorism. Qatar had denied it, saying the embargo aimed to undermine its sovereignty.

In January this year, a breakthrough was reached in Qatar’s three-year-old dispute with Saudi Arabia and three other Arab countries along with a US-backed agreement aimed at ending their rift.

“What happened today is ... the turning of the page on all points of difference and a full return of diplomatic relations,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan had told a press conference at the conclusion of a landmark regional summit in Saudi Arabia on Jan 5.

“During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries and ways of consolidating the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) joint action,” the official Saudi Press Agency had said.

The development was significant in a series of Middle East deals sought by Washington — the others involving Israel and Arab states — aimed at building a united front against Iran.

Opinion

Editorial

Last call
Updated 15 Nov, 2024

Last call

PTI should hardly be turning its "final" protest into a "do or die" occasion.
Mini budget talk
15 Nov, 2024

Mini budget talk

NO matter how much Pakistan’s finance managers try to downplay the prospect of a ‘mini budget’ to pull off a...
Diabetes challenge
15 Nov, 2024

Diabetes challenge

AMONGST the many public health challenges confronting Pakistan, diabetes arguably does not get the attention it...
China security ties
Updated 14 Nov, 2024

China security ties

If China's security concerns aren't addressed satisfactorily, it may affect bilateral ties. CT cooperation should be pursued instead of having foreign forces here.
Steep price
14 Nov, 2024

Steep price

THE Hindu Kush-Himalayan region is in big trouble. A new study unveiled at the ongoing COP29 reveals that if high...
A high-cost plan
14 Nov, 2024

A high-cost plan

THE government has approved an expensive plan for FBR in the hope of tackling its deep-seated inefficiencies. The...