Doha slams Saudi Arabia for detaining Qatari man returning from Yemen

Qatar has condemned neighbouring Saudi Arabia for arresting a Qatari man as he attempted to return from war-torn Yemen.

Qatar's foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that 63-year-old Mohsen al-Kurabi was arrested on April 21 by Saudi authorities, demanding his release.

"Kurabi was arrested by Saudi authorities as he was returning from Yemen, where he visited his family and without committing any wrongdoing," the statement said.

"[This] is a flagrant violation of national laws," it said, adding that Doha strongly condemned the arrest.

The statement called on Riyadh to provide Kurabi with his "legal rights to defend himself on allegations that might be attributed to him."

Saudi media has accused Kurabi of being a Qatari intelligence officer and reported that he was arrested in Oman on suspicion of providing support to the Houthi rebels.

Kurabi's son Taleb told The New Arab on Wednesday that his father phoned him on April 21 to say that he had been arrested on the Yemen-Oman border and was being sent to Riyadh.

"Since then there has been no communication," Taleb said.

"My father has agricultural investments and a petrol station business in Yemen's al-Jawf region, he was going there to inspect his projects. He is retired and has no connection to any official Qatari agency," he added.

The arrest has come amid the 10-month Gulf crisis, which pits Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain against Qatar.

Riyadh and its allies broke off relations with Doha in June, accusing it of fostering close links with Iran and supporting Islamist extremists.

Qatar categorically denies the charges.