Gulf states call for Yemen reconstruction meeting after peace deal

Gulf Arab states called on Thursday for an international reconstruction conference for Yemen after any peace deal to end the country's civil war.

The call came in a statement by Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders at the conclusion of their summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh, which was read out by GCC Secretary General Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al Zayani.

Yemeni warring parties are due to gather in Switzerland next week for UN-sponsored peace talks to end a civil war that had killed nearly 6,000 people, Reuters reported.

Also at the summit, Gulf Arab leaders condemned "hostile, racist" remarks against Muslims and Syrian refugees, days after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called for banning Muslims from entering the United States.

"The supreme council expressed its deep concern at the increase of hostile, racist and inhumane rhetoric against refugees in general and Muslims in particular," the GCC said, referring to the GCC heads of state meeting in Riyadh.

It called for "providing the necessary protection for the displaced and refugees who are fleeing the twin fires of unjust rule and terrorist groups".

In remarks to reporters after the summit, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir said "Iran is playing a negative role in most regional issues," according to The Associated Press. 

He said he had only met for "a few minutes" with his Iranian counterpart in Vienna last month on the sidelines of a meeting on Syria's nearly five-year war, in which Saudi Arabia and Iran are backing opposite sides of the conflict.

Riyadh is also hosting a Syrian opposition summit that gathered more than 100 representatives from various factions and rebel groups, in an effort to unite their ranks ahead of proposed peace talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad's government.

Jubeir said the kingdom hopes for better relations with Iran, but that Tehran's policies have hindered diplomatic ties.

However, the official statement from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council refrained from directly criticising Iran. It called for a political transitional period in Syria that eventually leads to free and fair multiparty elections, according to AP.

Leaders from Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and a senior Omani royal took part in the summit led by Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz.