King Salman meets Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali amid Qatari rift

CAIRO – 18 August 2017: Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, currently in Morocco on a private vacation, received at his residence in Tangier on Thursday the grandson of former ruler of Qatar, Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Jassem Al-Thani.

During the meeting, King Salman and Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali asserted that the relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Qatar are brotherly relations rooted in history.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali is the second son of the late Emir Ali bin Abdullah Al-Thani, the grandson of the Emir of Qatar, Abdullah bin Jassim Al-Thani, and the brother of Sheikh Ahmed bin Ali Al-Thani, who was overthrown by his cousin Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al-Thani, grandfather of Prince Tamim bin Hamad on February 22, 1972.

King Salman stressed the Kingdom’s keenness to provide required services for pilgrims and facilitate the performance of the hajj rituals.

For his part, Sheikh Abdullah expressed his appreciation to his approval to open the Salwa border crossing for the entry of Qatari pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's territories without electronic permits.

The king also directed that all Qatari pilgrims be transported from King Fahad International Airport in Dammam and Al-Ahsa International Airport under the Program of the Guests of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud for hajj and umrah.

The Salwa crossing, Qatar’s only land border outlet, was closed in June when Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates cut their diplomatic ties with Qatar.

The four Arab states, collectively called the Anti-Terror Quartet (ATQ), have accused Doha of supporting terrorist organizations and individuals, as well as maintaining close ties with Iran, which the ATQ have accused of trying to destabilize the region by fomenting sectarian strife.