UAE restores Qatar postal service after years-long freeze

Dubai, UAE - The United Arab Emirates has restored mail services to Qatar, frozen for more than two years amid a diplomatic rift, after a regional meeting attended by both Gulf states and the United Nations’ postal agency.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether the move indicated a broader mending of ties between the countries mired in a wider diplomatic dispute that has hurt trade and split the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council at a time of heightened tension with Iran.

The UN’s Universal Postal Union said Emirates Post, which handles mail in the UAE, hosted a regional meeting last week that involved officials from the UAE, Qatar and other Arab nations. The talks sought to encourage the countries to send post to one another and improve services.

“The discussions were very positive,” UPU spokesman David Dadge said. “Hopefully this is a sign of better arrangements in the future.”

Emirates Post and Qatar Post didn’t immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.

Emirates Post suspended services in June 2017 after the UAE along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding Islamist groups and supporting Iran, charges the government in Doha denies.

W h n Bloomberg inquired at an Emirates Post office in the UAE about sending a package to Qatar on Monday, staff said the service had been available since the previous day.

A February 6 internal circular from Emirates Post seen by Bloomberg ordered the restoring of the route from the UAE from February 9, citing ‘work necessity’ and ‘demand on services’.

The mail will be routed through Oman via Oman Post, it said.

There are no direct flights between the UAE and Qatar.

The mail will be routed through Oman via Oman Post

Emirates Post e