Saudi Arabia Crown Prince MbS lands in Qatar for World Cup kickoff

Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince and a delegation of ministers arrived in neighbouring Qatar on Sunday morning to attend the opening ceremony of the football World Cup, Saudi state media reported.

Mohammed bin Salman was accompanied by the kingdom's energy, interior, foreign, commerce and investment ministers as well as senior officials including his national security adviser and head of the National Guard, the official Saudi Press Agency said.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, the deputy of Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, was at the reception of Prince Mohammed upon his arrival to Doha, the Amiri Diwan of Qatar said in a statement. The diwan is the emir's office.

Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia's 37-year-old de facto ruler, orchestrated a regional blockade of Qatar beginning in June 2017, the same month he became first in line to the throne.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Doha, accusing it of supporting extremists and being too close to arch-rival Iran – claims Qatar rejected.

The quartet agreed to lift the restrictions at a Gulf Cooperation Council summit in January 2021 in the Saudi city of Al-Ula.

Prince Mohammed travelled to Qatar in December of last year and, along with Doha's Emir Sheikh Tamim, visited Lusail Stadium, which will be the venue for the final of this year's World Cup.

It was not immediately clear how long Prince Mohammed, who recently completed a multi-country tour of Asia, intended to stay in Qatar.

The Saudi Green Falcons are scheduled to play their first match against Argentina on Tuesday.

(AFP, Reuters)