The Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting Yemeni rebels also announced it was ending Qatar’s membership.
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Monday (Jun 5) they were severing diplomatic ties with Qatar, as they accused the Gulf state of supporting terrorism.
Saudi Arabia’s official state news agency, citing an official source, said the kingom decided to sever diplomatic and consular relations with Qatar “proceeding from the exercise of its sovereign right guaranteed by international law and the protection of national security from the dangers of terrorism and extremism”.
Saudi Arabia said it has cut all land, air and sea contacts with Qatar and “urges all brotherly countries and companies to do the same.”
The “decisive” measure was due to the “gross violations committed by authorities in Qatar over the past years”, the Saudi statement said, as the UAE made an announcement to cut ties as well.
The UAE accused its Gulf Arab neighbour Qatar of supporting extremism and undermining regional stability.
The Emirates cut ties and gave diplomats 48 hours to leave the country, citing their “support, funding and embrace of terrorist, extremist and sectarian organisations”, WAM said.
Egypt’s foreign ministry also accused Doha of supporting “terrorism” in a statement as it announced the severing of ties.
The statement said all Egyptian ports and airports would be closed to Qatari vessels.
Bahrain news agency said the kingdom was cutting ties with Doha over its insistence on “shaking the security and stability of Bahrain and meddling in its affairs”.
The Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting Yemeni rebels also announced it was ending Qatar’s membership as most Gulf countries severed ties with Doha amid heightened tension between the neighbouring states.
The coalition said the measure was due to Qatar’s “practices that strengthen terrorism, and its support to (terrorist) organisations in Yemen, including Al-Qaeda and Daesh, as well as dealing with the rebel militias,” according to a statement carried by SPA Saudi official news agency.
Abu Dhabi’s state-owned Etihad Airways said it will suspend all flights to and from Doha from Tuesday morning until further notice.
The last flight from Abu Dhabi to Doha will depart at 02:45 local time on Tuesday, the airline’s spokesman said in an email to Reuters.
Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/
