DOHA -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai held talks on Sunday with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani during a tour of oil-rich Persian Gulf Arab states to seek financial aid for rebuilding his war-ravaged country.

The official Qatari News Agency (QNA) said Karzai, who arrived in Doha earlier on Sunday for an official two-day visit, had "constructive and friendly" talks with his host, the current president of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

QNA said Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah complained in news conference after the talks that foreign aid to his country were "slow and insufficient".

"The Afghan minister voiced disappointment because promises of generous aid by donor countries to his country and its reconstruction effort were not fulfilled and said his country did not receive about half of the pledged aid," QNA said.

Karzai has sought speedy delivery of more than $4 billion in foreign donations pledged by several countries, including the Persian Gulf Arab states, to be spent on rebuilding his country after 23 years of civil war and foreign military intervention.

Abdullah said Karzai's talks in Qatar focused on developing economic, educational and health cooperation. He said his country plans to open an embassy in Doha before the end of 2002.

Earlier on Sunday, Karzai discussed ways of enhancing bilateral relations with the United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Zaid bin Sultan al-Nahayan and other top UAE officials, the official UAE news agency WAM said.

"He is surely going to ask for money and the United Arab Emirates has already committed itself to the international reconstruction effort," an official told Reuters before Karzai's talks in the UAE.

The UAE pledged to donate up to $36 million for Afghanistan's reconstruction effort at a donors' meeting in January, but has yet to provide the funds, diplomats have said.

Karzai held similar talks with Saudi leaders on Saturday.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have offered support to Karzai's government, which came to power last year after a U.S.-led military coalition ousted Afghanistan's Taleban rulers.

The two Persian Gulf countries have close historical and religious ties with Afghanistan and were among just three countries that recognized the Taleban during its five years in power.

Hundreds of Saudi nationals fought alongside Al-Qaeda forces of Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan.

Two weeks ago, Saudi Arabia joined the United States and Japan in pledging $50 million to fund a $250 million highway reconstruction project in Afghanistan.