Qatar, Jordan officially restore relations after two years of diplomatic rupture

King Abdullah II of Jordan signed on Tuesday a royal decree to appoint a new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Qatar, after more than two years of diplomatic rupture.

"His majesty on Tuesday signed and gave consent to the Prime Ministry’s decision to appoint Zaid Muflih al-Lawzi an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to Qatar," said state-run broadcaster Al-Mamlaka on its website.

Qatar has appointed Sheikh Saud Bin Nasser al-Thani to serve as ambassador to Jordan, according to Al-Mamlaka.

In June 2017, Jordan recalled its ambassador to Doha after Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt abruptly severed ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and Iran. Doha categorically denies the claims.

The four countries expelled Qataris, and the country's only land border with Saudi Arabia has been closed for the past year. Jordan similarly expelled Qatar's ambassador to the kingdom.

The Saudi-led bloc have demanded Doha accepts a list of 13 conditions, including shutting Al Jazeera and The New Arab, to open a dialogue to resolve the conflict.

Mediation efforts, mainly led by the emir of fellow Gulf state Kuwait, have so far failed to break the deadlock.

While the crisis has shaken the politics of the region, it has also had serious impact on the lives of ordinary civilians on the ground.

A report published last month revealed that the blockade had separated families, disrupted imports, including medical resources and construction materials, among other obstacles for Qatar.

In January, the UN's human rights office accused the four countries of orchestrating a hate campaign against Qatar, which included threats to kill the country's emir.​

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