The World Trade Organization (WTO) said on Tuesday it would investigate Qatar’s allegations of intellectual property breaches against Saudi Arabia, despite the kingdom’s objection that the WTO had no standing to hear the case.

Qatar took the final step on Wednesday to start litigation at the World Trade Organization in its row with the United Arab Emirates, but no other WTO members spoke up in support of the move, which many trade experts see as a dangerous precedent.

Trade restrictions imposed on Qatar by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates are justified by national security, Bahrain's representative told a World Trade Organization meeting on Friday.