Under Pressure Over Khashoggi Killing, MBS Praises Qatar Economy

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has praised Qatar’s economy, a rare conciliatory remark about the Gulf state that his country has been blockading since June 2017.

Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on Wednesday, the de-facto Saudi leader said: “Qatar, despite the differences we have, has a great economy and they will be doing a lot in the next five years.”

The comments were made during a segment about economic potential in Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Middle Eastern countries.

He also claimed the “new Europe would be here in the Middle East”, alluding to the region’s economic promise.

Bin Salman is one of the key figures behind a land, sea, and air blockade of Qatar, along with the leaders of the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt.

The bloc accuses Qatar of supporting groups they have banned, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as supporting terrorism.

Qatar rejects any accusation that it supports terrorism as baseless.