File photo shows His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during a meeting with US President Donald Trump. — KUNA

CAIRO: Kuwait's ruler will travel to Washington today and hold talks with US President Donald Trump, the state news agency KUNA announced yesterday. It was not immediately clear what the leaders would discuss, but HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has led mediation efforts to resolve a year-long dispute between Gulf Arab neighbors 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. Doha denies those charges. US 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 US 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.- Reuters