Qatar Emir Expected in Kuwait as Regional Tensions Rise

Qatar’s al-Sharq paper reported on Tuesday that Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, arrives in Kuwait City on Wednesday, in a visit aimed at boosting bilateral ties between the two countries.
 
The visit comes following growing row over the recent days between Qatar on the one side and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on the other.
 
Last Friday, Kuwait's First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al Hamad Al Saba visited Doha.
 
Last Wednesday, a statement posted on Qatari News Agency (QNA) cited Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Qatar’s emir, as criticizing the latest increase in tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran, in a speech he gave to graduating military cadets.
 
"Qatar Has established strong ties with Iran and the United States, as Iran is an Islamic and regional power that cannot be ignored. It is not wise to collaborate against Iran because it is a big power and guarantor of peace in region."
 
Sheikh Tamim spoke favorably about the Lebanese organization Hezbollah and the Palestinian group Hamas, while criticizing US President Donald Trump and saying he may not serve a full term. Qatar said the statements were posted by hackers targeting the country’s news agency. Despite the denial, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates blocked Qatari websites and broadcasters.
 
Saudi media viciously attacked Qatar, accusing it of having “betrayed” the other Arab countries particularly at a time when they had attempted to stage a show of “unity” against Iran in a much-publicized and extravagant series of events in Riyadh.
 
The visit to Kuwait by the Qatari Emir is seen by observers as an attempt to mediate between the warring Persian Gulf States. Kuwait previously served as a mediator last time tensions rose between Saudi Arabia and Qatar in 2014.