Report: Saudi Urging Hariri to Reconcile with Political Foes

Saudi Arabia is persuading Mustaqbal Movement leader MP Saad Hariri to hold talks of reconciliation with various rival political figures, reported al-Akhbar newspaper on Saturday.

This was demonstrated by a meeting he held on Friday with former Minister Abdul Rahim Mrad.

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq played a key role in bringing the two officials together.

Al-Akhbar said Riyadh had urged the Mustaqbal Movement to adopt openness in its approach to its rivals “on condition that the stances made afterwards are positive towards Saudi Arabia.”

Ties between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia reached unprecedented lows recently after the kingdom decided to halt an aid grant to the army in wake of Hizbullah's antagonistic stances towards Riyadh and in wake of Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil's abstention from voting in favor of Arab League resolutions condemning an attack against the Saudi embassy in Tehran.

The kingdom also urged its citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon, a measure adopted later by Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

Lebanese officials have throughout the week exerted efforts to improve ties with Riyadh amid reports that Prime Minister Tammam Salam would soon embark on a Gulf tour.