Are the Saudis funding extremism?

The diplomatic crisis in the Gulf has seen Qatar living under a blockade for more than a month now.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt accused Qatar of, among other things, supporting extremists – claims Doha strongly denies.

Now, a report from a UK think tank is pointing the finger at Saudi Arabia for being a key figure in financing such groups.

And raises questions about its role with armed groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant armed group.

There is also another report on the subject – from the British government, but its conclusions have not been made public.

So, why is Saudi Arabia accusing other countries of sponsoring extremism?

Presenter: Sohail Rahman

Guests:

Shafeeq Ghabra – Professor of Political Science at Kuwait University

Simon Mabon – Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Lancaster

Marwan Kabalan – Associate Analyst at the Doha Institute: Arab Center for Research & Policy Studies