Qatar emir skips Saudi-hosted Gulf summit amid boycott
Qatar said its emir will skip a summit Sunday of Arab Gulf leaders in Saudi Arabia, which has spearheaded a boycott of the small but energy-flush neighbour and sparked a major regional diplomatic row.
- World
- AP
- Published Date: 12:00 | 09 December 2018
- Modified Date: 03:24 | 09 December 2018
Qatar's emir is skipping a Gulf summit hosted by Saudi Arabia, which has led a boycott of the country for more than a year.
Other leaders of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council descended down a golden escalator and were greeted by Saudi King Salman ahead of Sunday's summit. Qatar sent a lower-ranking official.
GCC members Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut ties with Qatar in the summer of 2017 over its support for Islamist opposition groups that they view as terrorists.
Qatar's Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended last year's meeting in Kuwait, where the boycotting nations sent lower-level representatives.
Bahrain's Foreign Minister Khalid Al Khalifa tweeted that Sheikh Tamim should have accepted "the fair demands and been there at the summit."
- Macron says junction of social networks, TV streaming 'a poison for democracy'
- Trump criticized Obama for staff turnover but is now outpacing him
- Saudi Arabia rules out extraditing suspects in Khashoggi case
- Key Democrat says Trump allegations could be 'impeachable'
- Netanyahu tasks Mossad head to forge ties with Saudi Arabia