DOHA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2019) Kuwaiti Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah made Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud shake hands with Qatari Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, who has been the first Qatari official to visit Saudi Arabia since Riyadh cut off relations with Doha two years ago.
On Thursday, Riyadh convened emergency Gulf and Arab League summits to discuss the alleged Iran threat ahead of the Islamic summit on Friday. Initially, Doha said that it had not been invited to join the summits in Mecca but on Monday, the Qatari Foreign Ministry confirmed that country's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani had received an invitation to attend the Gulf Summit. Qatar then said it would be represented by the prime minister, not by the emir, at the meeting.
Al Ekhbariya live broadcast showed Al Saud walking alongside the Kuwaiti emir ahead of the summit. Al-Sabah then called the Qatari prime minister to join them and suggested that the Saudi king should shake his hand, which Al Saud did with the lack of enthusiasm.
The group was subsequently joined by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud who briefly shook hands with Al Thani.
Saudi Arabia was among the Gulf nations that cut off diplomatic relations with Qatar and imposed a blockade on it in 2017, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism, which Qatar denied.
Kuwait has been engaged in mediation efforts to settle the crisis.
