CAIRO, Nov 19 (Aswat Masriya) – Egypt "strongly welcomed" on Wednesday an appeal by the Saudi monarch to support the gulf accord signed by four gulf countries earlier this week, a presidency statement said.

Saudi King Abdullah had urged Egypt earlier on Wednesday to back an agreement between the gulf countries brokered in Riyadh on Sunday to restore diplomatic relations with Qatar.

"Egypt announces its full trust in the wisdom of opinion and correct vision of the custodian of the two holy mosques," the presidency statement read, applauding King Abdullah's "tireless efforts" to serve the interests of the Arab and Islamic nations."Egypt renews its pledge to … remain the 'home of the Arabs'."

The presidency added that Egypt is looking forward to a new era which puts behind past disagreements.

It nevertheless failed to mention the future of Egypt's diplomatic relations with Qatar. 

The country has withdrawn its ambassador to the Gulf state in March following critical comments made by Qatari emir Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Egypt's domestic affairs.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members held an emergency meeting this week, where they agreed that the Kingdoms of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates would restore their ambassadors to Qatar.

In a joint statement released by the GCC, the countries described the agreement as a means of "turning a new leaf" in the Gulf countries' relations with Qatar.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar in March. They accused the gulf country of breaching the GCC's security agreements which ban any direct or indirect interference in member-states' domestic affairs.

The trio also accused Qatar of supporting "organisations and/or individuals that threaten member-states' security and stability," they said in a joint statement.

The Saudi King nevertheless "appeal[ed] to the people and leadership of Egypt to seek with us the success of this step in the march of Arab solidarity," in a statement reported by the Saudi news agency SPA on Wednesday.

Egypt has summoned Qatar's ambassador twice in January after a statement by Doha saying it was "concerned by the large number of deaths following the suppression of protests across Egypt."

Egyptian ties with Qatar have deteriorated following the army's ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in July, which was prompted by mass protests against his rule.

Qatar was a strong supporter of Mursi's regime. Its protest over the Islamist president's ouster led to tension with other gulf states who support Egypt's new regime, mostly Saudi Arabia and the UAE.