Egypt asks Qatari ambassador to leave as Maldives severs ties with Abu Dhabi

Egypt has given the Qatari ambassador in Cairo 48 hours to leave the country and has recalled its senior representative in Doha, the foreign ministry said on Monday.

“The Qatari ambassador was summoned today and given formal notification of the expiry of his accreditation as an ambassador to Egypt, and was given 48 hours to leave the country,” a statement from the foreign ministry said.

In a related development, Qatar has asked its citizens to leave the United Arab Emirates within 14 days to comply with a decision by Abu Dhabi to sever ties with Doha, the Qatari embassy in Abu Dhabi said on social media.

“Qatari citizens must leave the UAE within 14 days, in accordance with the statement issued by the concerned Emirati parties,” the embassy tweeted.

The ministry added that those who cannot travel directly to Doha should go through Kuwait or Oman.

Also, the Maldives said it was severing diplomatic ties with Qatar, following a coordinated move by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, who accused the Gulf state of supporting terrorism.

“The Maldives took the decision because of its firm opposition to activities that encourage terrorism and extremism,” the government of the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago nation said in a statement.

Gulf Arab states and Egypt have long resented Qatar’s support for Islamists, especially the Muslim Brotherhood which they regard as a dangerous political enemy.

Despite its reputation as a tourist paradise, the largely Muslim Maldives is struggling with a large number of youths enlisting to fight for Islamic State in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman had been due to visit the island chain of 400,000 people on a month-long tour of Asia this year but postponed the trip due to an outbreak of flu there.

The Maldives government said in March a planned multi-billion dollar, Saudi-funded investment project on one of its atolls would focus on high-end tourism, and rejected opposition claims that the islands would be sold to the government of Saudi Arabia.

NAN