Gulf OPEC nations say world growth is priority

By Mogi Chikako and Osamu Tsukimori

TOKYO (Reuters) - OPEC Middle East oil producers said on Saturday they wanted oil output policy to help support world economic recovery.

A month ahead of the next meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, oil ministers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar showed no sign of veering from the moderate production policy which has helped keep oil prices on a leash not far from $50 a barrel since early March.

"We need to be pragmatic," Qatari Oil Minister Abdullah al-Attiyah said. "We will have to see how the economy will recover first."

Leading crude producer Saudi Arabia said $50 oil, a third of the record price hit last summer, was Riyadh's way of helping nurse the economy back to growth.

Asked if $50 was supportive for growth, Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said: "Yes, that's our contribution to the world economy."

Naimi and fellow Gulf oil ministers meet their counterparts from Asia consumer nations in Tokyo on Sunday.

While judging world oil markets to be "definitely" oversupplied, when asked whether he was worried about high inventories Naimi said: "Eventually they will come down."

Closing at $51.49 a barrel at the end of last week, U.S. crude has risen from a low of $32.40 in December after setting a record of over $147 in July 2008.