Qataris celebrated crossing their border with Saudi Arabia Sunday, calling the kingdom "our second country".
Drivers arrived at the Salwa border crossing in Saudi Arabia from the Qatari land crossing at Abu Samra for the second day following its re-opening, AFP correspondents reported.
"Coming from Qatar is like coming to our second country, where there's no difference between them and us in their traditions," said Mohamed al-Marri, a Qatari who had travelled into Saudi Arabia.
Since the re-opening of the border, 167 Qatari cars had entered Saudi Arabia, while 35 Qatari vehicles had crossed back into Qatar, said Ali Lablabi, general manager of Salwa's customs department.
"This happiness — no one can describe it," said Ghaith al-Marri, a Qatari. "There are people who started crying" when the border re-opened, he said.
Qatar Airways and Saudi Airlines announced on Saturday on Twitter that they would begin resuming flights between their countries from Monday.
Qatar has announced coronavirus control measures for those arriving from Saudi Arabia.
Doha will require travellers to present a negative coronavirus test, undergo another test at the frontier and quarantine in a government-approved hotel for one week.
Just one hour from the Salwa border crossing lies Al-Ahsa, a desert oasis where Qatari shoppers once kept the local economy humming, crossing over to buy affordable supplies including dates and milk. The residents of Qatar also pumped millions of riyals into Saudi hotels, date plantations and other real estate.
"Coming from Qatar is like coming to our second country, where there's no difference between them and us in their traditions," said Mohamed al-Marri, a Qatari who had travelled into Saudi Arabia.
A visitor shows his documents to a Saudi customs official as he travels into Saudi Arabia from Qatar through the Salwa crossing between the two Gulf countries.
Since the re-opening of the border, 167 Qatari cars had entered Saudi Arabia, while 35 Qatari vehicles had crossed back into Qatar, said Ali Lablabi, general manager of Salwa's customs department.
"This happiness — no one can describe it," said Ghaith al-Marri, a Qatari. "There are people who started crying" when the border re-opened, he said.
Qatar Airways and Saudi Airlines announced on Saturday on Twitter that they would begin resuming flights between their countries from Monday.
Qatar has announced coronavirus control measures for those arriving from Saudi Arabia.
Doha will require travellers to present a negative coronavirus test, undergo another test at the frontier and quarantine in a government-approved hotel for one week.
Just one hour from the Salwa border crossing lies Al-Ahsa, a desert oasis where Qatari shoppers once kept the local economy humming, crossing over to buy affordable supplies including dates and milk. The residents of Qatar also pumped millions of riyals into Saudi hotels, date plantations and other real estate.
