Dispute seen as escalating row

A Gulf diplomat told Gulf News the issue over the construction of the bridge should be seen as part of the escalating Saudi-Qatar row over a number of issues.

The two countries have been quarrelling over several issues such as the coverage of Al Jazeera, which the Saudis suspect is aimed at destabilising their country and the ties between Doha and Israel. The Saudis are also suspicious of the strong US military presence in Qatar.

Moreover, Qatar and Kuwait are planning to build jointly a $2 billion (Dh7.34 billion) petrochemical plant in Qatar.

At the same time, the two countries continue to seek approval from Saudi Arabia to begin building a $2 billion (Dh7.34 billion) gas pipeline across Saudi territory, but this has been delayed, sources said.

The diplomat said: "The Saudis believe the bridge is aimed to empower smaller neighbour Qatar by linking it directly to the UAE. The Saudis certainly would not like that."

He said that would further strain inter-GCC relations. Another Gulf official told Gulf News the Saudi objections could present "an obstacle" to the joint Gulf action. It could also hinder other joint projects, he said on the condition of anonymity.

The six governments are currently studying the construction of a multi-billion dollar rail network in their countries. "It seems the Saudi-Qatari continuous quarrels have begun to cast a heavy shadow on the entire GCC affairs," the official said.

"I am afraid the current row is an indication of a future bigger disagreement that might involve a third country, the UAE," he said. "Of course, that affects our collective efforts negatively," he added.