Photos: Elated Qataris stream into Saudi after border re-opened

Cars move at Qatar's Abu Samra border crossing with Saudi Arabia, after the two countries restored ties and opened borders, which were closed since 2017.

Visitors show their documents to Saudi customs officials as they travel by car into Saudi Arabia from Qatar through the Salwa crossing between the two countries on January 10, 2021.

Qatari vehicles crossed into Saudi Arabia through a land border on Saturday for the first time following a deal this week to restore relations. "It's good to see warm welcome we had, and the happiness we see in our brothers," said, the driver of the second car to pass through the Abu Samra-Salwa crossing.

An officer gives flowers to a driver at a border crossing of Saudi Arabia with Qatar.

"Coming from Qatar is like coming to our second country, where there's no difference between them and us in their traditions," said Mohammed al-Marri, a Qatari who had travelled into Saudi Arabia.

Qatar Airways and Saudi Airlines announced Saturday on Twitter that they would begin resuming flights between their countries from Monday.

Etihad airways, Abu Dhabi's carrier, intends to recommence services between Abu Dhabi and Doha, a spokesperson said on Saturday. Above, Saudi customs officers checking the documents of a Qatari visitor's vehicle as he crosses the border from Qatar into Saudi Arabia through the Salwa crossing between the two Gulf countries.

All arrivals into Qatar crossing at Abu Samra must present a negative COVID-19 test, take a new test at the border and quarantine for one week in one of a number of selected hotels.

A Saudi customs official walking past Qatari-registered vehicles queuing to cross the border from Qatar into Saudi Arabia through the Salwa crossing. The border reopening, announced by mediator Kuwait, came a day before an annual summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was held in Saudi Arabia.

A visitor shows his documents to Saudi customs officials as he travels by car into Saudi Arabia from Qatar.

Cars move at Qatar's Abu Samra border crossing with Saudi Arabia.