Saudi King Salman in Doha on second-leg of Gulf tour

Qatar, Saudi Arabia ‘bonded by historical ties’

DOHA, Dec 5, (KUNA): Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud arrived in Qatar on Monday, the second stop in a regional tour that included the UAE and will also take him to Bahrain and Kuwait.

In a statement to the press, Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani hailed the Saudi monarch’s visit as a historic one that will be instrumental in bolstering ties between the two Gulf nations.

The Saudi King, who was received upon arrival by a number of senior Qatari officials, is on a two-day official visit to Doha, part of a Gulf tour aimed at strengthening Riyadh’s ties with its neighbors.

Relations between Qatar and Saudi Arabia serve as a paradigm for cooperation and integration between two sisterly nations, a report published on Qatar News Agency (QNA) earlier on Sunday cited.

A day before Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz embarks on a historic visit to Qatar, QNA’s report noted that both Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries share a tightly-knit bond and see eye to eye on most issues of mutual concern, particularly, the situations in Syria and Yemen, along with the Palestinian cause. Moreover, during his visit on Monday, the latest in a spate of meetings between the leaders of both nations, the Saudi King is expected to offer his condolences over the death of former Qatari Amir Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Most notably, Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz had previously met during the GCC/US Summit in the Saudi city of Jeddah in May, only to convene again in August.

On the frequent meetings, the report noted that it is a testament to both nations’ keenness to bolster bilateral ties and ratchet up continued interaction for the betterment of both countries.

The report also added that both Saudi Arabia and Qatar were participants in the “North Thunder” military exercise held in Saudi Arabia that drew great fanfare and assembled the armies of 20 Arab and Islamic nations.

The meeting on Monday is likely to yield more strategies to boost ties between the two Gulf nations, the report underscored.