Qatar backs Opec oil output rise

"Of course we support an output rise," Attiyah said as he arrived at Beirut airport for this week's Opec meeting.

"We in Qatar, through Opec, fully support an output increase...and are against the current high prices."

Attiyah said weekend violence in Saudi Arabia's eastern oil city of Khobar, where suspected al Qaeda militants killed 22 civilians and took dozens of foreigners hostage, would have no impact on Saudi oil exports.

"I want to assure you that such acts of terrorism will not affect oil exports in Saudi Arabia...Saudi's exports and Opec exports are not affected in practical terms by these kinds of events."

He said he was not aware of a formal proposal that the oil group may consider abandoning quotas altogether when it meets on June 3 in the Lebanese capital.

"No one called me about this proposal," he said.