Saudi Arabia, UAE Turn To Top UN Court In Airspace Feud With Qatar

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Qatar's regional rivals including Saudi Arabia and the UAE said Wednesday they would file a complaint at
the highest UN court against the isolated Gulf state over alleged airspace violations.Both sides in a regional diplomatic crisis that saw a
Saudi-led bloc break off all ties with Qatar last year are turning to the International Court of Justice in the Hague to hear their
grievances.Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt decided to submit the airspace case to the ICJ on the grounds that the International
Civil Aviation Organisation was not competent to consider the dispute, Saudi and UAE state media said.The UAE has filed two complaints with
the ICAO over what Qatar's rivals say are airspace violations that threaten civil aviation.The UAE accuses Qatar of sending fighter jets to
intercept passenger flights and a civilian helicopter in Bahraini airspace.Doha has denied approaching any UAE-operated flights.The
Saudi-led bloc cut off relations with Qatar on June 5, 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism and Iran, which Doha denies.Qatar has also
filed a case at the ICJ accusing the UAE of human rights violations.Judges at the court in The Hague -- which rules in disputes between
countries -- will start a three-day hearing at Doha's request on Wednesday.The row has left the small peninsula nation regionally isolated
with its only land border closed, its state-owned airline barred from using its neighbours' airspace and Qatari residents expelled from the
boycotting states.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is published from a syndicated
feed.)