Saudi Arabia to lift Qatar embargo, easing the Gulf crisis
Dubai: Saudi Arabia will open its airspace and land border to Qatar in the first step toward ending a years-long diplomatic crisis that deeply divided US defense partners, frayed societal ties and tore apart a traditionally clubby alliance of Gulf states, officials said late Monday.
Qatar's only land border has been mostly closed since mid-2017, when Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain launched a blockade against the tiny Gulf state, accusing it of supporting extremist groups and of having warm ties with Iran.
The Saudi border, which Qatar relied on for the import of dairy products, construction materials and other goods, opened briefly during the past three years to allow Qataris into Saudi Arabia to perform the Islamic hajj pilgrimage.
It was unclear what concessions Qatar had made or is promising to make regarding a shift in its policies.
Kuwait, which had been mediating throughout the dispute, was first to announce the diplomatic breakthrough through its foreign minister. Earlier on Monday, the foreign minister had reportedly traveled to Doha to deliver a message to Qatar's ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
While the Saudi decision marks a major milestone toward resolving the Gulf spat, the path toward full reconciliation is far from guaranteed. The rift between Abu Dhabi and Doha has been deepest, with the UAE and Qatar at sharp ideological odds.
Following Kuwait's announcement, the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, tweeted that his country was keen to restore Gulf unity. However, he cautioned: We have more work to do and we are in the right direction.
The lifting of the embargo by Saudi Arabia paves the way for Qatar's ruler to attend an annual summit of Gulf leaders Tuesday that will be held in the kingdom's ancient desert site of Al-Ula. The summit would traditionally be chaired by Saudi King Salman, though his son and heir, the crown prince, may instead lead the meeting.
Qatar confirmed late Monday that Sheikh Tamim would be attending the summit, a move that analysts say would have been domestically sensitive for him had the Saudi blockade still been in place.
This year, Egypt's president has also been invited to attend the summit of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which comprises Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.
Kuwait's foreign minister said in a statement carried on state TV that Kuwait's ruler had spoken with Qatar's emir and Saudi Arabia's crown prince. The conversations "emphasized that everyone was keen on reunification, and would gather in Al-Ula to sign a statement that promises to usher in a bright page of brotherly relations.
The summit will be inclusive, leading the states toward reunification and solidarity in facing the challenges of our region, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was quoted as saying in remarks carried by the Saudi state-run news agency.
The decision to end the Saudi embargo comes just weeks after President Donald Trump's advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, visited the kingdom and Qatar in a final push by the administration to secure a diplomatic breakthrough.
It also comes just ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's swearing in. Saudi Arabia may be seeking to both grant the Trump administration a final diplomatic win and remove stumbling blocs to building warm ties with the Biden administration, which is expected to take a firmer stance toward the kingdom.
Normalisation with Qatar could buy Saudi Arabia time to strike compromises with the Biden administration on other issues, like its war in Yemen and potential U.S. re-engagement with Iran, said Samuel Ramani, a non-resident fellow at the Gulf International Forum.
Saudi Arabia could frame a partial d tente, which allows Qatari civilian planes to fly over Saudi airspace and de-escalates the information war, as proof of 'new thinking' in Riyadh, Ramani said ahead of the announcement.
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Arijit Singh likely to launch new political party: Reports
New Delhi: The music industry is abuzz with fresh speculation days after singer Arijit Singh announced that he would step away from taking new playback singing assignments.
According to a report by NDTV, the popular singer is now being linked to a possible entry into politics. Sources cited by the portal claim that Arijit is seriously considering exploring political work, beginning at the grassroots level. A source from the Bengali film industry told NDTV that while the singer is unlikely to contest the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, he may be thinking about forming his own political party in the future.
Arijit Singh, who hails from Jiaganj in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, has long been known for maintaining a low profile despite his immense popularity. The report suggests that his alleged interest in politics may be driven by his roots and a desire to contribute beyond music. However, the singer has not made any official statement confirming these reports.
The speculation comes shortly after Arijit announced his decision to stop taking new playback singing assignments. In a post shared on Instagram on Tuesday evening, he thanked listeners for their continued support and said he was calling time on his journey as a playback vocalist.
“Hello, Happy New Year to all. I want to thank you all for giving me so much love all these years as listeners. I am happy to announce that I am not going to be taking any new assignments as a playback vocalist from now on. I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey,” he wrote.
Arijit also clarified that he would complete his pending commitments and that some releases may still come out this year. He stressed that he was not quitting music altogether and would continue to learn and create independently.
Over the past decade, Arijit Singh has been one of the most influential voices in Hindi cinema, delivering several chart-topping songs including Tum Hi Ho, Channa Mereya, Agar Tum Saath Ho, Raabta, Kesariya, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Tera Yaar Hoon Main and Tujhe Kitna Chahne Lage. He was also expected to feature in Vishal Bhardwaj’s upcoming film O Romeo. His most recent release is Ghar Kab Aaoge from Border 2.
As of now, neither Arijit Singh nor his representatives have responded to the reports linking him to a political foray.
