Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah will travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to try to mediate an end to the crisis, according to a Gulf government official with knowledge of the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani delayed a televised address to the nation on Monday to allow Kuwaiti efforts a chance to succeed, the Qatari foreign minister told the Al Jazeera television.
President Donald Trump also wants to “de-escalate” the crisis and is committed to holding talks with all parties, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters Monday. Earlier, the Saudis and three regional allies -- the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain -- suspended flights and sea travel to Qatar, escalating a row and sending Qatari stocks plunging more than 7 percent on Monday, though there’s been no immediate impact on Gulf energy exports.
Saudi Arabia accused its fellow Gulf Cooperation Council member of supporting a range of violent groups, from proxies of Shiite Muslim Iran to the Sunni militants of Islamic State. Qatar dismissed the charges as baseless, and said the Saudis are seeking to dominate their smaller neighbor.
Qatari stocks gained 2.8 percent at 10:03 a.m. in Doha.