Kushner heads to Middle East to promote peace plan

RIYADH, Feb 24 (Al Jazeera): Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and White House senior adviser, is on his way to the Middle East to promote the economic portion of a long-awaited US plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Kushner, 38, left the US for a five-nation tour late on Saturday, according to White House officials.

Accompanied by US Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt and US envoy on Iran Brian Hook, Kushner plans stops in Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

During their week-long trip, the White House team will gauge the level of support for the economic part of Trump's "deal of the century", the Reuters news agency reported earlier in February.

Seeking regional support for the economic plan, expected to include international funding proposals for the impoverished Gaza Strip, is a step on the way to the eventual unveiling of Trump's sweeping proposals to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.