In an easing of ties, leaders from Saudi Arabia and its regional partners reached a landmark accord with Qatar - ending three-and-a-half years of deadlock and reviving diplomatic relations, NBC News reported Wednesday.
The Emir of Qatar arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to an embrace from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The kingdom opened its land, air and sea borders to Qatar late Monday and welcomed sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to a regional conference and signed a new "stability and solidarity" deal.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic relations and transport links with Qatar in 2017 over what they called its support for Islamic militants - a claim Qatar denied.
Video of the emir's arrival in the north-western city of Al-Ula showed the 40-year old sheikh being hugged by bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's 35-year-old de facto ruler.
Kuwait, which had been brokering the dispute between the two, was first to make public the diplomatic breakthrough.
The decision to end the Saudi boycott comes after outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump's advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, visited Qatar and Saudi Arabia in a final push by the administration to seal a diplomatic deal.
Analysts said the kingdom was calling on allies for the accord to show U.S. president-elect Joe Biden that Riyadh was open to diplomatic talks.
Biden has said he will take a rigid stance with Saudi Arabia over human rights violations and a war with Yemen.
