JEDDAH, May 16: Gulf Arab leaders urged the United States on Sunday to rethink the new sanctions it has slapped on Syria and to pursue "constructive dialogue" to settle any dispute with Damascus.

Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) "expressed regret at the United States' decision to impose economic sanctions on Syria" on grounds that it supports terrorism, secretary general Abderrah man al-Attiyah said in a statement at the end of a one-day consultative summit in this Red Sea city.

The heads of state or top officials from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE who attended the summit "praised the responsive Syrian attitude and voiced hope that the US will reconsider this decision," Attiyah said. -AFP