Moscow, March 5 (IANS) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Qatar from March 8 to 12, the ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.

Lavrov will meet Middle Eastern leaders on a comprehensive range of issues within the scope of Russia's "multifaceted" relations with these countries, Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

They will focus on expanding business partnerships and discuss cooperation in the energy sector, she added.

They will also discuss the settlement of the crises in Syria, Libya, Yemen and the Gulf, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

--IANS int/