WASHINGTON: The White House said Friday that President Donald Trump would host the United Arab Emirates’ Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahayan, but did not specify a date. The news comes after Washington said Trump would host Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on April 10 in an effort to end a diplomatic spat that has riven America’s Gulf allies. Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar last year, accusing Doha of bankrolling Islamist extremists and fostering ties with Saudi arch-rival Iran. Trump had taken a hard line against Qatar, saying the country needed to scale back ties with Iran and stop funding extremism. Aides – mindful of the pivotal role that the Al Udeid Air Base outside Doha plays in US Middle East operations – have since convinced him to take a more moderate approach.

Source: New Strait Times April 07, 2018 01:07 UTC