Saudi Arabia bans all Qatar aircraft from its airspace

Saudi Arabia's aviation authority on Monday said it issued a decision to prevent all Qatari airlines from landing at airports in the Gulf kingdom as a diplomatic row in the Gulf intensified.

The country's General Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency that it has blocked all commercial and private airline companies registered to Qatar.

It also said that effective immediately,all Qatari airlines and aircraft had been banned from crossing the airspace of Saudi Arabia.

The circular issued by the General Civil Aviation Authority follows the severance of diplomatic and consular relations with Qatar.

Meanwhile, Qatar Airways announced on Monday that it has suspended all flights to Saudi Arabia with immediate effect.

A spokeswoman said that it was unclear if the suspension would be extended to other Gulf countries.

Earlier on Monday, Gulf states cut diplomatic ties with neighbouring Qatar and kicked it out of a military coalition, less than a month after US President Donald Trump visited the region to cement ties with powerhouse Saudi Arabia.

In the region's most serious diplomatic crisis in years, Qatar's Gulf neighbours Riyadh, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates as well as Egypt all announced they were severing ties with gas-rich Qatar.