Little-Known Qatari Sheikh Embraced by Saudi in Sudden Move
- Sheikh Abdullah Bin Ali Al-Thani met Saudi king, crown prince
- Royal is seen as pressure card on Qatari rulers: analysts
The 10-week Gulf standoff has seen Saudi Arabia opening its border with Qatar allowing pilgrims to travel to Mecca. That's thrust a little-known Qatari sheikh into the limelight. Bloomberg's Zainab Fattah reports on 'Bloomberg Markets: Middle East.' (Source: Bloomberg)
A little-known Qatari sheikh has been thrust into the limelight as a Saudi Arabia-led bloc tries to wring concessions from his nation to end the political feud dividing the Persian Gulf.
Sheikh Abdullah Bin Ali Al-Thani, a descendant of Qatar’s founder, was welcomed warmly in Saudi Arabia by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, then jetted off to Morocco, where Saudi King Salman hosted him at his vacation spot in Tangier. And while the Qatari government said the sheikh was on a personal visit, some media outlets close to the alliance portrayed his meetings as a triumphant diplomatic effort.