Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reaffirm their sovereignty over disputed gas field

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have reaffirmed that they have joint sovereignty over the disputed Dorra gas field in the Gulf, the Saudi Press Agency has reported. The claim was made in a statement by the foreign ministry in Riyadh.

The agency quoted the ministry as saying that the two countries renewed their calls for Iran to “engage in negotiations concerning the eastern border of the gas field.” It has proposed that negotiations should involve Saudi Arabia and Kuwait as one party and Iran as the other, “adhering to international law and principles of good neighbourliness.”

Iran has said previously that it has a right to the Dorra field. It described an agreement to develop the field concluded by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait last year as “illegal”.

On Sunday, Iran said that it would pursue its rights in the Dorra field if the other two countries refuse to cooperate. The statement came a few days after Kuwait’s oil minister said his country would start drilling and production without waiting for the demarcation of the maritime border with Iran.

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