Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz (R) meets Qatari Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Jassem Al Thani (L) in Tangier – Courtesy of CC via Al-Arabiya
CAIRO – 19 August 2017: Following the diplomatic rift between Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on one side and Qatar on the other, Qatari Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Jassem Al-Thani has appeared on the scene lately as a mediator to Saudi Arabia in order to open the Salwa border for Qatari pilgrims.
Qatar’s ruler Sheikh Tamim feels his reign is in danger after appearance of Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani on the scene and the welcoming spirit that his appearance was received by the Qataris.
Twitter users from all over the Arab and Gulf region have launched a welcoming hashtag following the series of tweets that Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Thani tweeted to thank the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz after a decision to open the Salwa border crossing for the entry of Qatari pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's territories without electronic permits.
The hashtag #عبدالله_ال_ثاني_نورت_التويتر, meaning Welcome to Twitter Abdullah Al Thani, was heavily circulated across Twitter after the tweets.
A large set of officials, politicians, writers and public figures used the hashtag to welcome Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali to the scene.
On the other hand, supporters of Qatar’s Tamim spread a hashtag of “my pledge to Tamim”, criticizing Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani.
Qatar Media Corporation CEO Sheikh Abdel Rahman bin Hamad Al Thani threatened Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani, political observers stated on Saturday.
Sheikh Abdel Rahman wrote on his Twitter account “If my hand exceeds its limits on my country or my Emir, I would cut it off.”
Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Jassem Al Thani plans to perform Hajj this year, Saudi Press Agency announced Wednesday.
During a meeting with Sheikh Al Thani, the King also ordered that a private aircraft belonging to Saudi Arabian Airlines be dispatched to Doha airport. These developments led some observers describe Sheikh Al-Thani as the new Prince of Qatar.
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.
The reopening of the Salwa border crossing disproves Qatari accusations that Saudi Arabia politicizes the hajj.
The Salwa crossing, Qatar’s only land border, was closed in June when Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates cut 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.
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