Qatar’s emir makes the first official visit to Egypt since the Doha boycott
Politics

Qatar’s emir makes the first official visit to Egypt since the Doha boycott

Qatar’s Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani landed on Friday in Cairo, marking his first official visit to Egypt since the boycott of Doha by four Arab states.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani arrived in Cairo, his first visit to Egypt since the thaw in relations between the two countries. Four Arab nations viz- Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain had boycotted Doha in mid-2017 but in January of last year, the Arab quartet signed the Al-Ula Declaration with Qatar terminating their all-round boycott of Doha.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi received the Qatari emir at Cairo International Airport, while the flags of both countries flew over the tarmac, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Tamim’s two-day visit will see the signing of several economic agreements, and the launch of meetings to boost trade, investment, and economic ties, and ensure Qatari investment in Egypt, especially in the energy sector. The two leaders are expected to talk about ways to improve bilateral relations and address the current regional and international political issues concerning both countries.

The visit comes ahead of American President Joe Biden’s expected tour of the Middle East next month.