Alwaght-Qatar's emir on Tuesday publicly invited fellow Persian Gulf rulers to a Doha summit, apparently seeking to forestall what diplomats say is an attempt by some peers to move it elsewhere in protest at what they see as an Islamist tilt in his foreign policy, Reuters reported.
Diplomats say preparations for the annual gathering of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) have become indicative of an unprecedented rift between Persian Gulf Arab states over Doha's backing of Muslim Brotherhood during Islamic Awakening.
In an unprecedented public move, Saudi , Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recalled their ambassadors to Qatar in March, accusing Doha of failing to abide by an agreement not to interfere in one another's internal affairs.
So far efforts by members of the PGCC, an alliance that also includes Oman and Kuwait, to resolve the dispute have failed.
In a speech to the advisory Shura Council, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani said "deepening the bonds of brotherhood" among PGCC members was at the forefront of Qatari foreign policy.
"In this context, we welcome our brothers the PGCC leaders at a summit hosted by Qatar next month," he said.
The three states mainly fell out with Qatar over the role of Islamists, including the Muslim Brotherhood. Persian Gulf officials say the three want Qatar to end any support for the Brotherhood, seen as a terrorist organization by Saudi. It is important to note that Saudi Wahhabi rulers are known for their support for extremism and terrorism all over the world. On the other hand Muslim Brotherhood is a transnational Islamist organization, founded in Egypt in 1928, and is famous for its democratic and political activities among Muslim, contrary to al-Saud dictatorship that rules over Saudi Arabia people for a long time.
Qatar says it backs all Arabs, not just Brotherhood members.
According to reports in regional Arabic media, the summit may be delayed or shifted to a new location in what analysts say would hurt the prestige of the influential gas exporting state.
"The UAE and Bahrain really don't want to come to Doha and have the emir chair the meeting, when they believe he hasn't done enough to resolve their conflicts," said an Arab diplomat in the Persian Gulf.
"This is probably the most serious internal crisis that the PGCC has faced since its creation," said Jean-Marc Rickli, assistant professor at the department of defense studies at King's College London based in Doha.
