Tensions Exposed After Saudi Official Calls Kuwaiti Minister a ‘Mercenary’

  • Kuwait objects to offensive comments from Saudi official
  • Nation has been attempting to mediate Gulf split with Qatar
Traffic passes along a highway beside new high-rise buildings under construction in Doha, Qatar.

Photographer: Gabriela Maj/Bloomberg

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Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait made a rare public appearance after a Saudi official insulted a Kuwaiti minister, in a new twist to the long-running diplomatic spat between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors.

In a post Monday on his official Twitter account, Saudi royal court adviser Turki Al Asheikh attacked Kuwait’s minister of commerce and industry, Khaled Al-Roudhan, calling him a “mercenary under the umbrella of a position.” Kuwait responded by warning about potential damage to bilateral ties in a meeting with the Saudi ambassador.