Moroccan king to visit Gulf states, Jordan

Moroccan King Mohammed VI will start Tuesday a tour to four Gulf states and Jordan, his cabinet announced Sunday in a statement. King Mohamed VI will pay official visits to four member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), namely Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, the statement said. After the Gulf tour, the king will visit Jordan, where he is scheduled to meet with King Abdullah II over bilateral ties, before returning home for the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday (feast of sacrifice). Morocco and Jordan have secular relations as both countries escaped smoothly last year's upheaval in the Arab world and aspire to join the GCC. Last year, Gulf Arab states decided to establish a five-U.S. billion fund for development projects in Jordan and Morocco.