Ayman Fadilat-Amman

"Extraordinary" is the description of the Jordanian and Qatari ambassadors who arrived in Amman and Doha on Tuesday, on the impact of unprecedented momentum in the Kingdom's relations with the Gulf state, which has been under siege and boycott of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt for more than two years.

Progress has not stopped in the relations between the two countries during the past two years, despite Jordan's reduction of diplomatic representation with Doha, and the departure of the Qatari ambassador to Amman as a result of pressure from the countries of the blockade, according to Jordanian political circles.

This September, however, began with an extraordinary event, the exchange of ambassadors between Jordan and Qatar, where he arrived to Oman, Qatari Ambassador Sheikh Saud bin Nasser Al Thani, while Ambassador Zaid al-Lawzi, who was the second man at the Jordanian Foreign Ministry, arrived in Doha.

Last Sunday, the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and King Abdullah II of Jordan had a telephone conversation.

Even at the height of the Gulf Arab-Egyptian decision to blockade and boycott Qatar, the two countries were able to maintain an advanced level of relations. Qatar's announcement of $ 500 million in aid to Jordan and the creation of 10,000 jobs for Jordanians in Qatar.

The 2022 World Cup Qatar logo was lifted at the Royal Amman Hotel yesterday at its launch in several cities around the world (Getty Images)

Mutual need
"The state of Jordanian happiness" with the return of ambassadors was expressed by the Chairman of the Jordanian-Qatari Parliamentary Friendship Committee, Dr. Abdullah Al-Akayleh, who said that this decision came after the parliamentary and popular demands of the Jordanian King Abdullah II that the diplomatic relations with Qatar should be restored. ".

The history of Jordanian-Qatari relations is honorable from both sides, he added, adding that cooperation in all crises and occasions continues. Jordan needs Qatar at this critical economic stage, and Qatar "will not fail with us because it did not fail previously."

Al-'Akayla reviewed Qatar's stances with Jordan at the height of the siege crisis in Qatar, and what he described as “the abandonment of the blockade by Jordan to stop aid and depend on political positions.” Qatar offered a financial grant worth five hundred million dollars and providing ten thousand job opportunities for Jordanians. Jordanians from Saudi Arabia with their families, "he said.

He attributed the Jordanian parliament to the state of apathy that hit the relationship between the two countries, "to the pressure of the siege countries," and considered that the two countries today express the opening of a new page in trade, economic and political relations solid.

Politically, he believes that the return of ambassadors will strengthen Jordan's positions rejecting the deal of the century, withdrawing the Hashemite tutelage from Jerusalem, and what he described as a "conspiracy" to liquidate the Palestinian issue at the expense of Jordan.

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Investment growth
The exchange of ambassadors gave the commercial sector more reassurance, according to Jordan Chamber of Commerce President Al-Nael Al-Kabariti, which "strengthens trade, economic and political relations."

He said that trade and economic relations between the Jordanian private sector and his Qatari counterpart have never been broken during the past period, stressing that the coming days will witness an increase in the trade balance with Qatar.

Especially that the warm diplomatic relations between the two parties give traders and investors reassurance and pay to strengthen trade relations.

Al-Kabariti pointed to the increase in the value of Qatari investments in Jordan during the current year, which amounted to about two billion dollars, expected to witness an increase in investments in the coming period, pointing out that the return of ambassadors coincides with the opening of the new offices of the Qatar Airways Group, which confirms the strength of trade relations between the two countries. .

On Monday, the opening of the new offices of the national carrier of the State of Qatar in Amman in the presence of ministers of transport, tourism, digital economy and leadership, and Jordan's Ambassador to the State of Qatar Zaid al-Lawzi.

Al-Akayleh: History of Jordanian-Qatari Relations

Neutral and balanced
In the opinion of political analyst Omar Ayasra, the neutral and balanced Jordanian position since the beginning of the crisis of the Gulf-Egyptian blockade of Qatar paid off.

Jordan "is keen to restore relations with Qatar for several considerations; the most important of which is the unenviable economic situation, and the Kingdom's need for financial and economic assistance and investments that push the economic wheel," he said.

However, Al-Ayasra stresses that Jordan's return to the momentum of its relations with Qatar "did not come out of the circle of old alliances, but moved from the circle of waving and hinting to restore relations with Qatar to the real action to exert pressure against the pressure exerted and exerted on it."

He considered that the opportunity now exists for the Jordanian decision-maker to reformulate alliances in the Arab region, especially with the changes we are witnessing daily between the countries of the Gulf blockade, especially Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.