Qatar must change policies: Saudi Minister

Paris : Qatar must change their policies and stop supporting extremist groups, the Saudi foreign minister said yesterday in Paris, a day after his nation and its allies cut off ties with the Gulf state.

“They have to change their policies” and “stop supporting extremist groups,” Adel Al-Jubeir told reporters, adding that Qatar needed “to act like a normal country.”

Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates severed diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar on Monday, for supporting extremism.

US President Donald Trump suggested Qatar was funding extremism as he backed the diplomatic blockade of the emirate.

“They said they would take a hard line on funding... extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!”

Trump’s broadside came as Kuwait Emir flew to Saudi Arabia in a bid to resolve the diplomatic crisis to hit the Arab world in years.

When asked about possible international diplomatic efforts to end the crisis, he said, “I don’t believe there is a mediation. This is an internal GCC issue.” 

“We decided to make it clear that enough is enough,” Jubeir said.

“We want Qatar to be an ally in finding peace and stability in the region,” he said. 

When asked about Iran, Jubeir called it “an aggressive and hostile state” that would probably try to exploit the situation which would only make it worse for Qatar.

The severing of ties with Qatar was already having tangible effects, with dozens of flights cancelled, Qatari planes barred from regional airspace, and panic buying in Doha amid fears of food shortages.

Kuwait Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah has arrived in Jeddah for talks to resolve the crisis.