Kuwait demands apology from Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV after 'insulting' comment

Kuwait demanded an apology from a Saudi broadcaster after a television host made comments hinting at Kuwaitis’ perceived passion for alcohol, Arabi21 reported on Sunday.

"They have to go the extra mile to quickly apologise for what they have done, given that Kuwait tried and will continue to reconcile Gulf countries," said Kuwait Deputy Foreign Minister Khalid Aljarallah, addressing Saudi-funded Al-Arabiya TV.

"This gross mistake is discordant with Al-Arabiya and absolutely doesn’t fit with it," added the Kuwaiti official, in response to the "insulting" comment.

Saudi presenter Sarah Dundarawy mocked Kuwaitis at the end of a televised report on Qatar’s decision to lower alcohol prices, a measure aimed at attracting more visitors to the 2022 World Cup which will be hosted by Doha.

"We are waiting for comments from their friends in Kuwait for this Qatari generosity," said Dundarawy about Qatar's planned alcohol price crunch, before ending her report.

Her comments made the rounds on social media in Kuwait, where internet users circulated hashtags ridiculing the Saudi presenter’s dig.

A regional diplomatic crisis erupted after Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt abruptly severed ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and Iran, a claimed that Doha categorically denies.

Kuwait has been a go-to country for allies of Qatar and the Saudi-bloc who have been hoping to resolve the crisis.

However, mediation efforts, mainly led by the emir of fellow Gulf state Kuwait, have so far failed to break the deadlock.

Follow us on Twitter: @The_NewArab