Saudi Arabia, Qatar Reopen Land Border after Reconciliation

Saudi customs employees welcome travelers passing through the al-Salwa border crossing with Qatar. (SPA)
Saudi customs employees welcome travelers passing through the al-Salwa border crossing with Qatar. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia, Qatar Reopen Land Border after Reconciliation

Saudi customs employees welcome travelers passing through the al-Salwa border crossing with Qatar. (SPA)
Saudi customs employees welcome travelers passing through the al-Salwa border crossing with Qatar. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia and Qatar reopened on Saturday the only land border between their countries, in line with the reconciliation that was announced on Tuesday.

The move was in line with the approval of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz to reopen all borders with Doha before last week’s Gulf summit.

The 41st Gulf Cooperation Council summit, held in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla, witnessed the signing of the AlUla declaration that ended the Gulf row.

Saudi Airlines (Saudia) will operate flights from Riyadh and Jeddah to Doha, starting from Monday, the airline said in a tweet on Saturday. It will operate four flights a week from the Saudi capital and three from Jeddah.

After a three-year closure, Qatari vehicles were seen passing through the Abu Samra land crossing with Saudi Arabia where health precautions are in place amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Saudis are still barred from leaving the country due to the outbreak. The travel ban is due to be lifted in March.

Asharq Al-Awsat was at the crossing to witness the warm welcome shown to Qataris, reflecting the bonds of friendship between the neighbors.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt ended on Tuesday the Gulf crisis by declaring reconciliation with Qatar after a three-year rift.

The quartet and other Gulf nations prioritized the higher national interests of their people and the future of their region.



Saudi Arabia Offers Condolences to Egypt Following Deadly Train Collision

An Egyptian policeman stands guard at the site where train carriages derailed near al-Ayyat village in Giza governorate, south of Cairo, Egypt, November 8, 2026. (Reuters)
An Egyptian policeman stands guard at the site where train carriages derailed near al-Ayyat village in Giza governorate, south of Cairo, Egypt, November 8, 2026. (Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia Offers Condolences to Egypt Following Deadly Train Collision

An Egyptian policeman stands guard at the site where train carriages derailed near al-Ayyat village in Giza governorate, south of Cairo, Egypt, November 8, 2026. (Reuters)
An Egyptian policeman stands guard at the site where train carriages derailed near al-Ayyat village in Giza governorate, south of Cairo, Egypt, November 8, 2026. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia offered on Sunday its condolences to Egypt and the families of the deceased following a train collision in south of Cairo.

In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed the Kingdom's solidarity with the government and people of Egypt during this tragic event, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

Seven people were killed and over 100 others injured when two trains collided Sunday in the al-Ayyat district in Giza.

The crash occurred when a train traveling to the southwestern Fayoum province crashed into the rear of a train heading to the southern province of Aswan, according to the Transportation Ministry.


Egypt Condemns Missile Launch Targeting Riyadh

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Cairo. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Cairo. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
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Egypt Condemns Missile Launch Targeting Riyadh

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Cairo. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Cairo. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Egypt stressed on Sunday its full support and solidarity with Saudi Arabia in all measures it takes to defend its security and sovereignty, protect its citizens, and safeguard its interests.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Egypt expressed its deepest condemnation of the continued heinous attacks on Saudi territory and the attempts to target its cities and interests, the latest of which was the firing of two ballistic missiles toward the city of Riyadh.

The ministry noted that these actions constitute a blatant violation of international law and the Kingdom's sovereignty and security, representing an escalatory approach and a direct threat to civilians.

During a joint press conference in Cairo with his Slovenian counterpart, Natasa Pirc Musar, last week, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned against undermining the security of Saudi Arabia, reiterating his country's "categorical rejection of any threat that might compromise the security and stability of the Kingdom and all other Gulf states."

Sisi stressed that Egypt stands in full solidarity with Arab nations, stemming from its firm belief that Arab national security is "one single, indivisible whole."


UAE Says It Rescued 22 People after Cargo Ship Caught Fire in Sea of Oman

The Chinese-flagged container shipping vessel Hui Fa transits the Gulf of Oman off the coast of Khor Fakkan in the emirate of Sharjah in the east of the UAE on October 13, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
The Chinese-flagged container shipping vessel Hui Fa transits the Gulf of Oman off the coast of Khor Fakkan in the emirate of Sharjah in the east of the UAE on October 13, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
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UAE Says It Rescued 22 People after Cargo Ship Caught Fire in Sea of Oman

The Chinese-flagged container shipping vessel Hui Fa transits the Gulf of Oman off the coast of Khor Fakkan in the emirate of Sharjah in the east of the UAE on October 13, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
The Chinese-flagged container shipping vessel Hui Fa transits the Gulf of Oman off the coast of Khor Fakkan in the emirate of Sharjah in the east of the UAE on October 13, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

The United Arab Emirates National Guard said ‌on ‌Sunday that ‌it ⁠has rescued 22 ⁠people, all of ⁠whom are of ‌Arab ‌nationals, after ‌a ‌fire broke out ‌on a cargo ship ⁠in the ⁠Sea of Oman.

It added in a statement posted on its X account that the rescue operation followed a distress call from the vessel’s crew reporting a fire on board. Coast Guard teams immediately launched a response, located and reached the tanker, and rescued all 22 crew members.

They provided first aid before handing them over to the relevant authorities. All crew members were in stable condition, it said.