Egypt 'blocks Qatari officials' from attending Arab League meetings amid Gulf crisis

Egypt has prevented Qatari officials from taking part in an Arab League meetings in Cairo this week, Qatari state-run QNA news agency has reported.

Qatari media official Abdulrahman al-Obaidan told the agency on Tuesday that Egyptian authorities refused to issue visas to Doha's delegation for the meetings amid tensions between the two countries.

"The obstruction of Egyptian authorities in the issuance of visas, did not allow the delegation to participate," Obaidan said.

"[We] did all the procedures required to obtain visas for the members of the delegation… but did not receive any official response," he added.

The move is the latest incident in an 11-month political crisis which has seen a group of Saudi-led countries, including Egypt, break all ties with Qatar.

The bloc accuses Doha of supporting terrorism and seeking closer ties with Iran. Qatar claims the Saudi-led countries are seeking regime change in Doha.

Obaidan said Egyptian authorities have refused to issue visas to Qatari officials invited to attend meetings at Arab League in Cairo since the beginning of the crisis.

Qatari officials attended an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia in April. The Saudi-led bloc refused to discuss the dispute at the meet.