4 Arab states reassure US over Qatar boycott

Dubai

FOUR Arab countries that imposed sanctions on Qatar have told the United States that US companies doing business with them would not be punished for also working with Doha, four sources with knowledge of the matter said. Foreign firms have become increasingly cautious on their cross border dealings over concerns they could fall foul of the region's biggest diplomatic crisis in years.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain sent a letter to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in July reassuring him that US companies would not be discriminated against as part of the boycott, according to sources with knowledge of the letter. The European Union has been given similar "official ... verbal assurances" by the UAE, the EU delegation to the UAE said.