International postal exchange resumes between Qatar and its neighbours

International postal exchange has resumed between Qatar and its neighbours, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to the Universal Postal Union (UPU).

Postal exchange was suspended in 2017 as part of a diplomatic crisis between the countries, which also saw flights to and from the country suspended and Qatari aircraft banned from neighbouring airspace.

These countries also banned Qatar-flagged ships from calling at its ports, forcing carriers such as COSCO and Maersk to either suspend services to Qatar or reroute via Oman.

The coalition of countries, led by Saudi Arabia, accused Qatar of supporting terrorism, and demanded that the country sever ties with Iran, shut down its state-funded Al Jazeera media network, and stop interfering in other countries’ affairs, as a result of various disputes between the countries.

Credit: Florian Wehde

Diplomatic ties have not yet been restored, but post can now be delivered to and from Qatar via Oman, after representatives from each nation came to an agreement at UPU headquarters in Berne, Switzerland.

“I warmly welcome the resumption of international postal exchanges between these countries via transit through Oman,” said Bishar A. Hussein, the UPU’s Director General.

“All of the countries, including Oman, deserve praise for their commitment and dedication to ensuring that postal items continue to be exchanged and delivered over the Union’s single postal territory.”

The UPU, a specialised agency of the United Nations that organises postal exchange across its 192 member countries, has been battling to keep up with global events in recent years, including the US’ threat to withdraw from the union, the privatisation of postal services, and the rapid growth of global e-commerce.

Source: Post & Parcel