28 December 2017•Update: 28 December 2017
By Ahmed al-Masri
DOHA, Qatar
Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah arrived Thursday in Saudi capital Riyadh.
The visit is the first official trip abroad by Sheikh Nasser -- who is also the son of Kuwait’s emir -- since he was appointed defense minister on Dec. 11 as part of a cabinet reshuffle.
Sheikh Nasser was received at Riyadh’s King Salman Airbase by Saudi Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdul Aziz and Kuwaiti Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Thamer bin Jaber al-Sabah.
According to Kuwait’s official news agency, Sheikh Nasser’s visit to Riyadh comes upon the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The purpose of the visit remains unclear. But for the last seven months, Kuwait has led mediation efforts between Qatar and a four-nation bloc of Arab states led by Saudi Arabia.
In June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain all abruptly severed relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism -- allegations Doha strenuously denies.
The Saudi-led bloc also threatened additional sanctions if Qatar failed to meet a long list of demands.
In the seven months since, Kuwait has dispatched a host of high-level emissaries to relay messages between Qatar and the Saudi-led bloc of states in hopes of resolving the political standoff.
