Ai Weiwei Calls on Gulf States to Do More for Syrian Refugees

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei called on wealthy Gulf Arab states to take in more Syrians displaced by six years of civil war, saying the surge of refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East was a "test for humanity."

Ai has won acclaim for artwork highlighting the plight of Middle East refugees fleeing in boats to Europe.

Last year Ai wrapped the giant columns of the Berlin Konzerthaus with 14,000 life jackets brought from the Greek island of Lesbos on whose beaches over a million migrants have entered the European Union.

He has visited camps in Greece, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan to film a documentary about the refugee crisis.

Speaking after a talk in Doha on Tuesday night at Qatar's Museum of Islamic Art, Ai said a Gulf Arab policy of not granting Syrians and Iraqis refugee status was short-sighted.

"Many Gulf states refuse refugees. I don't think that's an intelligent act because many refugees even have the same religious background to them and talk the same language," Ai said.

"I think this only shows very short-sighted politics," he said.

Civilians fleeing Syria's nearby war have found scant refuge in the Arab world's richest countries despite several being backers of combatants in Syria's conflict, including Qatar.