Manama: Qatar’s Emir Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani has received Saudi Arabia’s National Guard Minister Prince Mitab Bin Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, the son of the king, in the Qatari capital Doha.
The official news agencies of both countries said that the talks covered bilateral relations and ways to bolster them.
No other details were provided by either country about other issues that might have been discussed at the meeting that concluded with a lunch banquet hosted by the Emir in honour of his guest.
Relations between Riyadh and Doha have been tense since the two capitals differed sharply over policies with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and beyond.
On March 5, Manama, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, in an unprecedented move since the establishment of the GCC in 1981, pulled out their ambassadors from Doha to protests against Qatar’s non-compliance with agreements approved by the GCC states.
Even though Doha did not reciprocate by withdrawing its own ambassadors, the situation remained tense amid speculation that it could even escalate.
Early reports that the dispute would be resolved soon were dismissed by Saudi Arabia that ruled out the possibility of international mediation in the standoff, and insisted that the conflict would not be resolved “until Qatar revises its policies”.
An ad-hoc committee made up of representatives from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar to discuss the points of contention has been holding meetings regularly in Riyadh, but no details have been leaked or decision been announced.
Visits by high-level officials from any of the four countries are often seen within the context of finding ways to ensure the situation does not escalate.
