RIYADH – Saudi Arabia to transform its only land border with Qatar into amilitary zone and nuclear waste site, state-linked Saudi newspapersreported on Monday.
The project has not been given official approval and faces many obstacles.Still, the proposal signals a new low in the 10-month-old feud betweenQatar and a quartet of nations that includes Saudi Arabia, the United ArabEmirates, Egypt and Bahrain.
The four accuse Qatar of sponsoring terrorism because of its support formiltant opposition groups in the region and its warm relations with Iran.Qatar denies the allegations and says the moves attempt to undermine itssovereignty.
Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, met in Washington onMonday with United States Defence Secretary Jim Mattis. He is scheduled tomeet President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia’s *Sabq* and *al-Riyadh*newspapers carried nearly identicalreports Monday saying that under the proposal, Saudi Arabia would transformpart of its side of the border with Qatar into a military base and anotherarea would become a dump site for waste from nuclear reactors the kingdomwants to build.
The UAE, meanwhile, would also build a nuclear waste site at the closestpoint near its border with Qatar.
An earlier report by *Sabq* newspaper ran with a headline saying the canalproject would “turn Qatar into an island” and would take just 12 months tocomplete.
The so-called Salwa Marine Canal project would be funded by Saudi andEmirati investors and dug by Egyptian companies with experience in the SuezCanal.
*Sabq* reports the canal would span the entirety of the border with Qatar,creating waterfront coastline for resorts, private beaches and Gulf cruiseliners. The canal, estimated to cost 2.8 billion riyals ($750 million),would stretch 200 meters wide and up to 20 meters deep.
Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, became thefirst high-ranking official to comment on the proposal. In a string oftweets, he said the project is “proof of Qatar’s failure to manage andsolve its crisis” and that Doha’s silence on the canal project “is proof oftheir fear and confusion.” Qatari government spokespeople did notimmediately respond to a request for comment.