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Will improved relations with Qatar lead to more military cooperation? January 15
Camels are shown in the Hofuf desert, east of the Saudi capital Riyadh, near the border with Qatar. Qatar and Saudi Arabia recently reopened their land border as they restored ties. (Fayez Nureldine/AFP via Getty Images) BEIRUT Six Gulf states and Egypt have signed what has been dubbed the al-Ula agreement, ending a rift with Qatar that lasted more than three years. With signs that diplomatic relations are improving, regional analysts are wondering if joint military cooperation between the signatories is next. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, along with Bahrain and Egypt, severed commercial and diplomatic ties with Qatar in 2017, accusing the state of cozying up to Iran and financing extremist groups in the region. Doha denied the charges, criticizing the boycott as a bid to subvert its sovereignty.
Tuesday, 29 December, 2020 - 12:00
The commander of the Saudi Royal Navy floats the first corvette from the Sarawat project in 2019(SPA) Riyadh - Saleh al-Zeid
Need for more international cooperation and coordination to deter threats facing the safety of waterways in the Arab region is increasing, especially for countries bordering exposed maritime corridors.
Safeguarding maritime navigation is geopolitically vital for the global economy.
Saudi Arabia, for example, oversees two important maritime routes in the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea, with its coasts stretching for about 3,400 kilometers and its kingdom including 1,300 islands.
This has prompted the Saudi Defense Ministry to make building high combat capabilities for its military forces part and parcel of its strategy to meet regional challenges and threats.