Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf states are expected to sign an agreement on Tuesday after six years to end the diplomatic crisis in the Gulf.
Big picture: The Saudi-led coalition has closed its airports and sea routes to Qatari planes and ships, citing Qatar’s support for Qatari militant groups and ties with Iran. In recent weeks there has been pressure from the Trump administration to end the dispute by Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
- U.S. Both maintain close ties with Qatar and its rivals, but many past attempts by the Trump administration to reconcile the parties have failed.
- Both Gulf states see the signing of the agreement as a gesture by the Trump administration and are part of their efforts to “clear the table” in preparation for the upcoming Biden administration.
- Jared Kushner mediated between the parties and traveled to Saudi Arabia to attend the signing during this week’s Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit.
Latest: Before the agreement was signed, Kuwait’s foreign minister announced that Saudi Arabia and Qatar would open their land, air and sea borders from Monday night.
Driving News: Kushner visited the GCC summit in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia, which included White House envoy Evie Berkowitz and adviser Brian Hook, who helped negotiate the agreement.
- The summit will be the first time Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has visited Saudi Arabia since the crisis erupted in 2017. Leaders from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Kuwait will also attend.
- The leaders are going to sign an agreement that includes three confidence-building measures: Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain will lift the air and sea blockade of Qatar; Qatar will withdraw all lawsuits against its three Gulf neighbors; And all parties will stop their media propaganda against each other.
Behind the scenes: The deal was struck in principle during Kushner’s last visit to Saudi Arabia and Qatar a few weeks ago, where he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sheikh Tamim. Kushner has close ties with both leaders.
- U.S. officials say Kushner flew to Doha, the capital of Qatar, after meeting the Saudi Crown Prince, leaving behind close aides Berkowitz and Adam Bohler in allied Saudi Arabia. Moderate conversation between Sacha and Qatari over the phone until a draft deal is reached.
- Officials told me that, over the past few weeks, final discussions were held with the Saudis and Qataris to ensure that both sides are committed to the understanding that has been reached.
- The White House also lobbied the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt – all three have reservations about the agreement, as they view Qatar in a negative light and do not consider Qataris sincere.
- The deal almost fell apart on Sunday when the last-minute irregularities between the deal and the Qataris created new tensions, sources told me.
- Kushner and his team were scheduled to leave on Sunday afternoon but their trip was postponed. A source told me that Kushner and his team were forced to negotiate with the Saudis and Qataris on Sunday night until a settlement was reached. They left Washington early Monday morning on their way to Saudi Arabia.
What they are saying: A senior diplomat from one of the Gulf countries told me that the agreement is a step in the right direction and includes some positive developments – but it does not mark the end of the Gulf fissure.
- The diplomat told me, “Some issues were resolved, but the root causes of the rift – bad personal relations between the leaders and the big differences in policy on Iran, Turkey and the Muslim Brotherhood – are still there,” the diplomat told me.
Bottom line: The deal, which will be signed on Tuesday before Biden takes office on January 20, will be a last-minute achievement for Kushner and the Trump administration.
.
