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Exactly a year ago, the Riyadh Summit was held with the participation of US President Donald Trump.
Just days after that summit, the Gulf crisis broke out as four countries led by Saudi Arabia imposed a blockade on Qatar, re-shaping the regional landscape.
A year after that summit, observers said the promises of unity and stability that the joint statement read out for the region didn't materialise. Instead, the crisis grew worse, according to a report in Al Jazeera.
Between May 20 and 21 last year, the Riyadh Summit was held on the occasion of Trump's first visit to Saudi Arabia.
The summit included a bilateral meeting between the US and Saudi Arabia and two other meetings, one with the GCC and the other with the Arab and Islamic countries (56 countries).
American newspapers pointed out that the summit and its outcomes were planned in advance.
Analysts point out that one of the results of the summit was that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt quickly imposed a blockade on Qatar.
The plan was based on assurances from Jared Kushner or the perception of the blockading countries that Trump would not stand against the siege of Qatar or other actions against it.
Intercept has reported that Kushner was a big supporter of the blockade on Qatar.
According to analysts, reports and data published in the US newspapers, the blockading countries wanted the Riyadh summit and their relationships with the Trump administration to be a bridge to isolate Qatar and possibly invade it.
But Qatar's steadfastness, diplomacy, economy and social structure offset their plan.
Observers said the summit ” after a year since it was held ” did not lead to any kind of consensus or unity among the Arab or Islamic nations, but what happened after confirms the trend towards further divisions.
