GCC summit in Riyadh to test Qatari intent before Biden’s inauguration

GCC summit in Riyadh to test Qatari intent before Biden’s inauguration

KUWAIT - Gulf believe the announcement of a Gulf summit in Riyadh, instead of Manama, clearly shows that Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz has taken over the file of reconciliation with Qatar, and that Riyadh will seek within the remainder of the time before the summit date to test Doha's intentions.

It want to ascertain Qatar's intent regarding reconciliation arrangements and how serious it is about taking the necessary steps to prove its goodwill before expanding the reconciliation efforts to include the UAE and Bahrain.

A Gulf diplomatic source said, “the fact that the file is in the hands of King Salman means that he will not leave room for manoeuvres and contradictory statements that have characterised the Qatari position in recent years, as it expressed its desire for reconciliation with one hand, and escalated its media attacks with the other, leading to thwarting the reconciliation efforts that Doha was running after before anyone else.”

The Saudi monarch wants to test the Qatari position on reconciliation himself, especially as he is the one who had opened the door for a truce with Doha, and is seeking to unify the Gulf position to enable the Gulf Cooperation Council to face regional challenges united, but