Qatar and the United Arab Emirates reopened their embassies on Monday following the agreement to restore diplomatic ties, the Qatari foreign ministry announced. 

The ministry’s statement said that the two foreign ministers, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, had held a phone call as the two embassies reopened.

“Based on Al-Ula agreement and the joint keenness on strengthening the bilateral relations, the State of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates announced restoration of diplomatic representation between the two countries by resuming the work at the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Abu Dhabi and its consulate in Dubai, and at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Doha as of Monday, June 19, 2023,” the statement said. 

The move comes amid a broader push for reconciliation in the Middle East, which comes two years after Arab states lifted a boycott of Qatar. In 2017, the UAE along with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain severed all ties with Doha over accusations of supporting terrorism and establishing close ties with Iran. 

In 2021 Riyadh and Cairo reappointed their ambassadors to Qatar. Bahrain is yet to reopen its embassy in Doha.