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Doha: In the latest sign of an improvement in ties between the two countries, Saudi Arabia has appointed a new ambassador to Qatar six years after recalling its diplomat from Doha and freezing relations with the Gulf country.
Ahmad Al Qah'tani, Saudi ambassador to Syria, was appointed to take the post in Doha within days, a Qatari official told Gulf News yesterday.
"Saudi Arabia has appointed a diplomat to Qatar; the new ambassador will arrive soon," the official said yesterday.
Confirmation
"It is confirmed that Al Qah'tani would take the post," he said.
The official also confirmed what some media reports mentioned as an imminent visit to Doha by Saudi Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz.
"I think it is confirmed," he said. He didn't elaborate on the date of the visit.
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Speculations that a Saudi ambassador was about to be appointed to Qatar were circulating since last September, when Emir of Qatar Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani paid a landmark visit to Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, ending six years of frosty relations between the Gulf neighbours.
In 2002 discords led to an open row over Qatar-based Al Jazeera news channel, whose outspoken programmes frequently angered the Saudi ruling family.
The channel broadcast a debate on the history of Saudi policy on Palestine. Riyadh protested and recalled its envoy.
Qatar's low-level ties with Israel were another issue of conflict.
In 2004 the two Gulf countries tried to tackle their differences during a meeting in France, with Kuwait playing the role of mediator.
To worsen relations, in 2006 thousands of members of a Saudi tribe accused Qatari authorities of expelling them from the country, a decision that Qatar said was due to a Gulf ban on holding dual citizenship and was later withdrawn.
But the September summit paved the way for a normalisation of ties between Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Demand
Sources close to the meeting said Qatar agreed to a Saudi demand that Al Jazeera stop "campaigning" against the kingdom, while Riyadh would send its envoy back to Doha and allow Al Jazeera to open an office in the Saudi capital.
The first sign of reconciliation was the participation of King Abdullah in the Summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Doha in early December 2007.
Ahmad Al Qah'tani, Saudi ambassador to Syria, was appointed to take the post in Doha within days, a Qatari official told Gulf News yesterday.
"Saudi Arabia has appointed a diplomat to Qatar; the new ambassador will arrive soon," the official said yesterday.
Confirmation
"It is confirmed that Al Qah'tani would take the post," he said.
The official also confirmed what some media reports mentioned as an imminent visit to Doha by Saudi Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz.
"I think it is confirmed," he said. He didn't elaborate on the date of the visit.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speculations that a Saudi ambassador was about to be appointed to Qatar were circulating since last September, when Emir of Qatar Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani paid a landmark visit to Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, ending six years of frosty relations between the Gulf neighbours.
In 2002 discords led to an open row over Qatar-based Al Jazeera news channel, whose outspoken programmes frequently angered the Saudi ruling family.
The channel broadcast a debate on the history of Saudi policy on Palestine. Riyadh protested and recalled its envoy.
Qatar's low-level ties with Israel were another issue of conflict.
In 2004 the two Gulf countries tried to tackle their differences during a meeting in France, with Kuwait playing the role of mediator.
To worsen relations, in 2006 thousands of members of a Saudi tribe accused Qatari authorities of expelling them from the country, a decision that Qatar said was due to a Gulf ban on holding dual citizenship and was later withdrawn.
But the September summit paved the way for a normalisation of ties between Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Demand
Sources close to the meeting said Qatar agreed to a Saudi demand that Al Jazeera stop "campaigning" against the kingdom, while Riyadh would send its envoy back to Doha and allow Al Jazeera to open an office in the Saudi capital.
The first sign of reconciliation was the participation of King Abdullah in the Summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Doha in early December 2007.
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