Kuwait emir to travel to Saudi for Qatar talks

Kuwait City : Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah will travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for talks aimed at resolving a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and other Arab nations, lawmakers said.

"Today, the emir embarks on a trip to Saudi Arabia," veteran MP Ali al-Deqbasi said during a parliamentary session. "We pray to God to help him succeed in achieving Gulf unity." 

"The hearts of the Kuwaiti and Gulf people are with the emir in his efforts to bridge the gap," MP Jamaan al-Harbash said.

Several other lawmakers voiced support for the Kuwaiti ruler, who played a pivotal role in mediating a compromise in a 2014 diplomatic dispute between Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf states.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen on Monday cut diplomatic ties with fellow Gulf Cooperation Council member state Qatar.

Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani deferred a speech planned to be broadcast on Doha-based satellite channel Al-Jazeera at the request of the Kuwaiti ruler, Qatar's foreign minister said Tuesday. 

Kuwait's Sheikh Sabah has urged his Qatari counterpart "to exercise restraint" and "give efforts aimed at containing tensions between brothers a chance," according to Kuwaiti news agency KUNA.

Kuwait, a member of the six-nation GCC alliance, did not join its neighbours in severing ties with Qatar.