DUBAI- Qatar's minister of state for foreign affairs arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday, state news agency QNA said, for a preparatory meeting ahead of an annual summit of Gulf Cooperation Council leaders that could see a thaw in a 2-1/2-year Gulf crisis.

Minister Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi represented Qatar last year at the summit, but it is still possible that the ruling emir will attend this year's meeting on Tuesday, following high-level Saudi-Qatari discussions to end the boycott of Qatar.

(Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Catherine Evans) ((asma.alsharif@thomsonreuters.com; +20225783290; Reuters Messaging: asma.alsharif.reuters.com@reuters.net))