Qatar won't be barred from Arab summit: Saudi crown prince

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, said Qatar will not be barred from an Arab Summit in Riyadh later this month, but predicted the standoff with Doha could last a long time, Khaleej Times reported.

Prince Mohammed's comments were made to local editors during a visit to Egypt this week and published Wednesday in the independent Al-Shorouk newspaper, according to Associated Press.



Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar in June, accusing the nation of supporting militant groups and forging close ties with Iran.

Saudi Arabia and Egypt set up a $10 billion joint fund on Sunday to develop a planned mega-city, committing more than 1,000 square kilometres in the south Sinai, as Prince Mohammed met President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo.

The deal came at the start of Prince Mohammed’s first public trip abroad since becoming heir apparent last year and purging the kingdom’s business and political elite in a crackdown on corruption that saw top princes and businessmen detained.



Egypt and Saudi Arabia have strengthened ties since Sisi took power in 2013 after ousting the Muslim Brotherhood, which both countries have banned and designated as a terrorist organisation.

The Saudi prince is currently in Britain following his three-day visit to Cairo and then to the United States, Riyadh’s closest Western ally, later in the month.