Saudi Arabia calls to tackle Iran threat at summit

The meeting between several leaders of Gulf states on Tuesday (January 5) is seen as an important signal in the hope to bury a conflict between major U.S. allies in the Middle East two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

Leaders of the Gulf countries signed a document, although the contents were not immediately released.

Ahead of the gathering, Kuwait had announced that Saudi Arabia, which along with allies boycotted Doha in mid-2017, would reopen its airspace and borders to Qatar. A senior U.S. official said the deal would be signed in the presence of White House senior adviser Jared Kushner.

The opening session of the summit was held in a mirrored building reflecting the desert landscape.

The apparent breakthrough in the Gulf row is the latest in a series of Middle East deals sought by Washington to close ranks against Iran, following agreements between Israel and Arab states. It also suggests Saudi Arabia wants to put the feud with Qatar behind it before Biden takes office.