Kuwait seeks to heal rift between Qatar and Arab states

The talks will aim at resolving a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and Arab nations

Kuwait's ruler will travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, hoping to heal a damaging rift between Qatar and powerful Arab states over the former's alleged support of Islamist militants and of political and religious rival Iran. Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al- Ahmad Al-Sabah left for Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for talks aimed at resolving a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and other Arab nations.

 

In a sign of the potential consequences for the Qatari economy, a number of banks in the region began stepping back from business dealings with Qatar. Saudi Arabia's central bank advised banks in the kingdom, not to trade with Qatari banks in Qatari riyals, sources said. Oil prices also fell on concern that the rift would undermine efforts by Opec to tighten production. Qatar and the other Arab states fell out over Doha's alleged support for Islamist militants and Shi'ite Iran — charges Qatar has called baseless. It said, however, that it would not retaliate and hoped Kuwait would help resolve the dispute. Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV that Qatar wants to give Kuwait's ruler the ability to "proceed and communicate with the parties to the crisis and to try to contain the issue".

 

Qatar's leader, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, spoke by telephone overnight with his counterpart in Kuwait and, in order to allow Kuwait to mediate, decided to put off a planned speech to the nation, the foreign minister said.