Qatar not invited to emergency Arab summits in Saudi Arabia: official

Published May 20, 2019
The KSA, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have imposed an economic and diplomatic boycott on Qatar since June 2017 over allegations that Doha supports terrorism and is cosying up to regional foe Iran. Qatar denies the charges. — Reuters/File
The KSA, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have imposed an economic and diplomatic boycott on Qatar since June 2017 over allegations that Doha supports terrorism and is cosying up to regional foe Iran. Qatar denies the charges. — Reuters/File

Qatar has not been invited to two regional summits called to discuss attacks on Saudi oil assets, a Qatari foreign ministry official said on Monday.

Saudi King Salman on Saturday proposed holding the two meetings in Makkah on May 30 to discuss implications of last week's drone strikes on oil installations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and attacks on four vessels, including two Saudi oil tankers, off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Read more: Trump warns Iran not to threaten US or it will face 'end'

The KSA, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have imposed an economic and diplomatic boycott on Qatar since June 2017 over allegations that Doha supports terrorism and is cosying up to regional foe Iran. Qatar denies the charges.

“Qatar, which is still isolated from its neighbours, did not receive an invitation to attend the two summits,” the director of the Foreign Ministry Information Office said on Twitter, citing State Minister for Foreign Affairs Soltan bin Saad al-Muraikhi.

The Saudi foreign ministry and government communications office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of ordering the drone strikes and said while it did not want war to break out in the region, it was ready to respond strongly. The UAE has not blamed anyone for the sabotage acts against the tankers pending an investigation and said it was committed to de-escalation.

Iran has denied it carried out either attack.

The UAE on Sunday said that the current “critical circumstances” in the region required a “unified Arab and Gulf stance”.

Opinion

Editorial

Military convictions
Updated 22 Dec, 2024

Military convictions

Pakistan’s democracy, still finding its feet, cannot afford such compromises on core democratic values.
Need for talks
22 Dec, 2024

Need for talks

FOR a long time now, the country has been in the grip of relentless political uncertainty, featuring the...
Vulnerable vaccinators
22 Dec, 2024

Vulnerable vaccinators

THE campaign to eradicate polio from Pakistan cannot succeed unless the safety of vaccinators and security personnel...
Strange claim
Updated 21 Dec, 2024

Strange claim

In all likelihood, Pakistan and US will continue to be ‘frenemies'.
Media strangulation
Updated 21 Dec, 2024

Media strangulation

Administration must decide whether it wishes to be remembered as an enabler or an executioner of press freedom.
Israeli rampage
21 Dec, 2024

Israeli rampage

ALONG with the genocide in Gaza, Israel has embarked on a regional rampage, attacking Arab and Muslim states with...