The Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman greeting the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, upon the latter’s arrival at the airport in Saudi Arabia heralded the new year. Arguably, it marks the beginning of a significant geopolitical step towards reconciliation among the Gulf Arab nations. It must have surprised many in the Arab world and may have caused some concern in Iran and Turkey, as both countries have taken advantage of dissensions among the Gulf Arab nations. Qatar, an estranged member of the six-country regional organisation, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) founded in 1981, had been at loggerheads with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE since 2017 over its policies that came into conflict with those of the three fellow Arab nations.