President Sisi Receives Emir of Qatar at Al-Ittihadiya Palace

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi welcomed Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at Al-Ittihadiya Palace Presidential Palace, as the Qatari leader visits Egypt for the first time since Cairo and Doha resumed diplomatic ties last year as part of Al-Ula agreement that ended an over three-year-long diplomatic rift.

The two leaders listened to the national anthems of both countries before starting summit talks.

The Qatari emir was received by President El-Sisi at Cairo International Airport on Friday evening.

The summit today between the two leaders aims to ensure full normalisation of relations between the two countries, according to a diplomatic source,

Tamim’s visit will see the signing of a number of economic agreements, and ensure Qatari investment in Egypt, especially in the energy field, according to the diplomatic source.

The two leaders are set to discuss during the summit the full scope of bilateral relations between the two countries and means of boosting them, according to the Egyptian presidency.

Sisi last met the Emir of Qatar in Iraq’s capital Baghdad in August 2021, however Emir Tamim hasn’t visited Egypt since the Arab League’s 26th summit in Sharm el-Sheikh in March 2015.

Egypt and Qatar agreed to resume diplomatic relations in January 2021.

The agreements come after nearly four years of a row between Qatar and Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE over Qatar’s alleged terrorism sponsorship and its close relations with Iran.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar signed an agreement during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)’s summit meeting in al-Ula for reconciliation.