Washington
US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner will visit Saudi Arabia and Qatar this week in a bid for further diplomatic deals in the region before leaving the White House, according to media reports Sunday.
The visits would focus on resolving a dispute between Qatar and a Saudi-led alliance, the Wall Street Journal reported, but a number of issues could be on the agenda.
His trip comes days after the assassination of a top Iranian nuclear scientist blamed on Israel, heightening tensions in the region.
The clock is also ticking on Trump’s time in office, with President-elect Joe Biden due to be sworn in on January 20. Kushner has sought various deals in the region and has developed a relationship with Saudi Arabia’s divisive de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In recent months, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have announced normalization deals with Israel under the so-called Abraham Accords, pursued by the White House represented by Kushner.
Sudan has also agreed in principle to normalize ties with Israel. Saudi Arabia has publicly insisted it would stick to the decades-old Arab League position of not having ties with Israel until it reaches a peace deal with the Palestinians.—APP
