RIYADH: Qatar has blocked Saudi planes from transporting Haj pilgrims, Saudi state media said on Sunday, after Riyadh reopened the border despite a major diplomatic crisis roiling the Gulf.

Riyadh last week reopened its land border with Qatar and allocated seven flights of the Saudi national carrier to bring pilgrims from Doha, in a temporary lifting of a weeks-long boycott of its Gulf neighbour.

“Qatari authorities have not allowed the aircraft to land as it did not have the right paperwork, although the paperwork was filed days ago,” the state-run Saudi Press Agency said.

“Saudi Arabian Airlines director general Saleh al-Jasser has said that the airline has thus far been unable to schedule flights to transport Qatari pilgrims from Hamad International Airport in Doha,” SPA added.

Doha has also accused Riyadh of jeopardising the pilgrimage to Makkah by refusing to guarantee the safety of Qatari citizens.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2017