Saudi Arabia's King Salman has ordered the border with Qatar be reopened to allow pilgrims to carry out their annual pilgrimage to Mecca, official state media said in Riyadh.

The decision came after the kingdom received an envoy from Doha for the first time since Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United  Arab Emirates severed ties with Qatar on June 5.

The king ordered that Qatari pilgrims be allowed "to enter Saudi Arabia through the border crossing to do the pilgrimage," said a statement from the Saudi News Agency.

He also ordered that private jets belonging to Saudi airlines be sent to Doha airport "to bring all Qatari pilgrims on his expenses", it added.

Source: AFP