Saturday, August 19, 2017

Inside Story - How Open Is Saudi's Invitation to Hajj Pilgrims from Qatar?


Almost three months after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar, Saudi's King Salman appears to offer a small step towards reconciliation. He's ordered the reopening of the border with Qatar to Hajj pilgrims. The invitation comes the day after the US described the Gulf crisis as being at a stalemate. Qatar's foreign minister welcomed the move, although he said it was a "politically-motivated decision". In reality, at the border crossing, some Qataris are still not being allowed to make the journey. What will it take to restore trust between sparring Arab neighbours? | Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra | Guests: Ibrahim Fraihat, Assoc. Prof. Conflict Resolution & Humanitarian Studies, Doha Institute; Maysam Behravesh, Political Science, Lund University; Arwa Ibrahim, News editor, Middle East Eye