Gulf Arab newspapers on Thursday charged that former British prime minister Tony Blair lacks all credibility in his new job as envoy for the Middle East Quartet, because of his total adherence to the policies of US President George W. Bush.

"Certainly, the man is endowed with great experience and competence but is he capable of assuming such a mission and at this precise moment, he who goes all the way as a Bush man?" asked the United Arab Emirates government paper Al-Bayan.

"Blair leaves the government, handicapped by the weakness of his credibility because of the Iraq war," it added.

"Equally, what will he be able to do today in this post, when he did nothing in the time he occupied a post giving him the power to take decisions."

Another UAE paper, Al-Khaleej, said Blair's appointment was a "reward for services he gave the American administration".

It echoed the fact that Blair did nothing new for the Quartet when he was prime minister and could find it difficult to do anything now that he lacked all real responsibility.

The Quartet -- the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia -- has been trying unsuccessfully to advance the so-called road map for Middle East peace on the basis of two states, Palestine and Israel, living in peace and security.

The London-based Saudi daily As-Sharq al-Awsat said Blair lacked both the weight and confidence in the Middle East needed for the role.

"Particularly as the region knows him solely by the Iraqi project, which has failed," said the paper's editorialist Abderrahman al-Rashed.

The Dubai-based English language Gulf News said: "Blair... is risking whatever political credibility he may still have by accepting the new job."

It added: "Arabs want Blair, who is a prominent member of the Labour Friends of Israel, to be 'a friend of peace' and an honest broker. "The legacy of the man and the line he opted for himself as a close ally of the Bush administration does not suggest that he is going to be a neutral peacemaker. Nevertheless, he has a historic chance to change the perception and perhaps contribute to easing the tension in this volatile region."