Kuwait's ruler will travel to Washington on Monday and hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, the state news agency KUNA announced on Sunday. It was not immediately clear what the leaders would discuss, but Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah has led mediation efforts to resolve a year-long dispute between Gulf Arab neighbours after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic, trade and transport ties with Qatar. The four countries accuse Doha of supporting terrorism and cosying up to regional foe Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump publicly sided with the Saudis and Emiratis early on in the crisis but then began pushing for a resolution to restore Gulf unity and maintain a united front against Iran. Reuters reported in July that the administration was quietly pushing ahead with a bid to create a new security and political alliance with six Gulf Arab states, Egypt and Jordan, in part to counter Iran's expansion in the region, citing U.S. and Arab officials. The administration's hope is that the effort, tentatively known as the Middle East Strategic Alliance, might be discussed at a summit provisionally scheduled for Washington on Oct. 12-13, the sources said, though the Qatar rift could present a big obstacle. *This story was edited by Ahram Online.
