UAE newspapers have strongly criticized Qatar for adopting policies that contravene the unified stand taken by the Gulf Cooperation Council on various issues. The papers said Qatar's policies and attitude run counter to the decisions made at the recently concluded Riyadh summits for the benefit of the Arab and Islamic nations. "Everyone was taken aback by Qatar's stand, which was driving a wedge between Arab and Islamic nations, particularly within the GCC states," the papers said. The papers cited Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's act of congratulating Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on his election victory as an example of Doha's insistence on sowing seeds of discord among GCC states. They also referred to the Emir's statements about Qatar's strong relations with Iran. Al-Bayan newspaper said Qatar was determined to divide the Arab countries by speaking highly of its relations with Iran, while Tehran was trying every means to spread its influence over a number of Arab countries, such as Syria, Iraq and Yemen. "This new face of Qatar's policy aims at stirring more trouble and tension in the region and closing the doors for dialogue among Gulf leaders and governments," the paper added. In a report, "Tamim provokes the Gulf states by congratulating Rouhani," Al-Khaleej newspaper said that the Qatari Emir had taken a provocative step by congratulating the Iranian president at a time when the region was facing multiple threats. The Iranian navy has announced that its Naval Fleet 47 will sail to the Indian Ocean next week to be stationed in the Gulf of Aden, in the first aggressive step against the Gulf states and the Arab alliance fighting the rebels in Yemen. The paper published another report, titled "Qatar stirs sedition and supports terrorism."
