Manama: Bahrain’s interior minister said that Qatar has ended the naturalization of Bahraini nationals, a key contention point between the two countries for months.
“Qatar has stopped the naturalization process of Bahrainis and organisation and implementation procedures on the subject are being taken,” Shaikh Rashid Bin Abdullah Al Khalifa said. “They are based on mutual respect of the laws of both countries and serve public interests and the bonding of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries,” the minister said in a statement carried by the ministry’s media centre.
Bahrain had charged that Qatar, a fellow GCC member country, had engaged in the naturalization of Bahraini families and that the Qatari decision affected its security and national interests.
Qatar was luring several of its citizens from specific Arab families to move to Doha where they are given the Qatari nationality and several lucrative privileges, Bahraini said.
The Bahraini complaint was among many grievances expressed by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates against Qatar which they accused of failing to comply with GCC agreements not to interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries.
The three countries on March 5 pulled out their ambassadors and insisted they would not reinstate them until Qatar changed its attitudes and adhered fully to the multilateral agreements.
An agreement reached in Riyadh on April 17 seemingly failed to achieve reconciliation, prompting the GCC leaders to meet on Sunday to sign a complementary agreement that paved the way for the reinstatement of the ambassadors and for holding the next GCC summit in Doha on December 9.
The Saudi ambassador was the first of the three withdrawn diplomats to return to his post.
On Tuesday, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported that King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa received an invitation from the Qatar’s Emir Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani to attend the 35th GCC summit in Doha in December.
“HM the King expressed sincere thanks and appreciation to the Qatari Emir for his kind invitation, voicing hope that the GCC Summit will consolidate cooperation and solidarity among GCC states, enhance joint GCC action and achieve the aspirations of the GCC citizens for more progress and welfare,” BNA reported.
“HM King Hamad lauded the landmark achievements of the previous GCC summits, noting that they have strengthened complementarity among GCC states at various levels and served their peoples.”
Kuwaiti media reported that the Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad had also received an invitation to take part in the summit.
Kuwait is the current chair of the rotating GCC presidency. GCC summits are regularly held every year, usually in December.
