Saudi crown prince visits Qatar after years-long rift

In a sign of improving relations between the two Gulf countries after a years-long rift, Saudi Arabia's crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Qatar on Wednesday as part of a Gulf tour.

The visit marks the prince's first trip to Qatar after signing an agreement earlier this year to end a three-year blockade of Doha.

According to the Qatar News Agency [QNA], Sheikh Tamim and and MBS, as the Saudi prince's name is abbreviated, discussed bilateral ties and means to strengthen common interests during a meeting held at the Amiri Diwan in the Qatari capital.

Prince Mohammed is visiting the country as a part of a regional tour covering other Gulf nations too. The Saudi ruler had visited Oman and the United Arab Emirates before visiting Qatar.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt had cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in June 2017 after accusing the gas-and oil-rich state of supporting radical Islamist movements and cozying up to Iran.

All countries had sealed their airspace to Qatari flights and expelled citizens. Saudi Arabia, the only country that shares a land border with Qatar, had even closed its border checkpoints to travelers.

The relations were fully restored in January after a landmark Gulf countries' summit in the Saudi desert city of Al-Ula in which Qatar also participated.