With eye on US ties, Saudi leads pack on Gulf detente

Saudi Arabia will move faster than its allies to reconcile with Qatar, sources familiar with the matter said, aiming to impress the incoming Biden administration by ending what the West sees as a parochial dispute that benefits only mutual foe Iran.

Saudi de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chaired a summit on Tuesday that declared an end to the bitter rift in which Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt have boycotted Qatar since mid-2017.

The kingdom said at the gathering that all four states had agreed to restore ties with Doha under a US-backed deal, but three sources said the other three nations had been pressed to sign a general declaration and were likely to move more slowly, as deep divisions remain.

“Saudi Arabia is way ahead of the others, who could drag their feet,” said one source familiar with the matter. “The declaration was kept general to ensure all parties signed it.”

The UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have had their own differences with Qatar.

The Trump administration has for over a year been pressing for a resolution, particularly reopening airspace to Qatar, to bolster efforts to contain Iran. But a deal had proven elusive despite US and Kuwaiti mediation efforts.

White House officials made a renewed push with the support of Prince Mohammed, the source said.

“We wanted to get it done before the end of the term,” a senior Trump administration official to Reuters. “I expect the same level of compliance as Saudi Arabia,” the official said of other boycotting nations.

Saudi Arabia is currently the only one taking active steps to reopen its airspace and borders to Qatar and restore diplomatic ties, the three sources said.

For Riyadh’s allies, the third informed source said, it will be very hard to retreat from Tuesday’s announcement, but may also be difficult to move forward fast and that some view the deal at the summit as “a starting point rather than the finish line”.