Saudi Crown Prince to visit Kuwait for talks on Qatar: news agency

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is expected to visit Kuwait on Saturday, according to the state-run Kuwait News Agency, with sources suggesting the young prince will discuss a Kuwaiti mediation to resolve the kingdom’s conflict with Qatar.

Mohammed bin Salman, more commonly known as MbS, will hold talks with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, the Kuwaiti News Agency said in a tweet.

The news agency fell short of specifying details of the talks, however a Gulf Arab official told Reuters the conflict with Qatar would be on the agenda.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt launched a blockade on Qatar last June, cutting diplomatic ties with Doha and halting air, sea and land links to the Gulf state.

The Saudi-led bloc accuses Qatar of supporting terrorism and being too closely allied to regional rival Iran.

Doha has categorically denied the accusations, adding that the dispute is an attack on its sovereignty and punishment for pursuing an independent foreign policy.

Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah has played a pivotal role attempting to mediate to resolve the blockade of Qatar by three Gulf countries.

However, the diplomatic efforts led by Kuwait to defuse the crisis have failed due to the Saudi-led bloc's intransigence.

Earlier this month the ruler of Kuwait travelled to Washington for high level talks with US President Donald Trump, Kuwait's KUNA news agency reported, noting the Gulf crisis was likely to be a key topic of discussion between the two leaders.

While Trump openly sided with Saudi Arabia and the UAE when the spat began, he has since pushed for a resolution to the crisis in order to maintain a united front in the region against Iran.

In July, the US announced it was looking to hold a summit with all the parties in autumn.

"We want to build to a point where there will be a meeting of all of the heads of state ... it might be September or it might be October", Ryan Gliha, US charge d'affaires to Qatar, said.

Agencies contributed to this report.

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