Doha: Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on Wednesday appointed Bandar Mohammed Al Attiyah as the country’s ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), for the first time since the Gulf crisis which erupted in 2017 and ended at the start of this year in January 2021.
Qatar’s Official News Agency (QNA) reported that Al Thani issued Emir decree no. 29 of 2021, appointing Bandar Mohammed Al Attiyah, “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary” to Saudi Arabia.
On June 21, Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani appointed Mansour bin Khalid bin Farhan as the first Saudi ambassador to Doha since the 2017 crisis.
In January, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain decided to end a boycott they had imposed in mid-2017 on Doha and restore political, trade and travel relations with it.
The four countries cut ties due to accusations of Qatar’s support for terrorism, in reference to extremist Islamic groups, which Doha denies.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt have resumed diplomatic relations with Qatar, but the UAE and Bahrain are yet done so. The boycotting countries, with the exception of Bahrain, have restored trade and travel links with Qatar.
On January 5, the 41st Gulf Summit held in Saudi Arabia announced the signing of a reconciliation agreement that ended the crisis considered the most difficult since the creation of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf in 1981.
Commercial flights subsequently resumed and land crossings were opened between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, in addition to the exchange of official visits and contacts between officials of the two countries.
Qatar appoints ambassadors to several countries
The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Wednesday issued decisions appointing new ambassadors to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the European Union, the Republic of Panama, the Republic of Cuba, the Italian Republic, and the Republic of Georgia.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, appointed Khaled Fahad Abdulhadi Al Shahwani Al Hajri as ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium.
Abdulaziz bin Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Maliki Al-Juhani was appointed ambassador to the European Union.
He also appointed Bandar Muhammad Abdullah Al-Attiyah, ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jamal Nasser Sultan Al-Badr, ambassador to the Republic of Cuba, and Ahmed Muhammad Nasser Al-Dahimi, Ambassador to the Republic of Panama.