Surprise visit by the Emirati president to Qatar, a sign of diplomatic warming
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani receives United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in Doha, Qatar December 5, 2022. via REUTERS - HANDOUT
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
In Doha, outside the football fields, the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed ben Zayed, met his Qatari counterpart on Monday, November 5.
A first since the lifting of the boycott against Qatar in January 2021.
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With our regional correspondent,
Nicolas Keraudren
The red carpet was rolled out this Monday in Doha, when Mohamed ben Zayed arrived in Qatar.
For this surprise visit, announced by the official news agency two hours earlier, the Emirati president was received by the Qatari emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The two "
brothers
", as they tweeted, notably discussed "
ways to strengthen relations between the two countries
".
Today I arrived in Doha to discuss areas of mutual interests and strengthening bilateral ties between our nations.
I congratulate my brother Tamim bin Hamad and the people of Qatar on hosting the FIFA World Cup and wish them continued success.
pic.twitter.com/5k4D6CWgKz
— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) December 5, 2022
For more than three years, these were at a standstill.
The United Arab Emirates – accompanied in particular by their Saudi and Egyptian allies – had unilaterally severed their diplomatic and economic relations with Qatar.
►
See also Qatar: several Arab countries sever diplomatic ties with the emirate
This boycott had certainly ended at the beginning of last year.
But the Emirati president had not yet visited his neighbor in person.
This had fueled, according to some observers, rumors of persistent tensions.
►
To read also: Qatar, a year of crisis in the Gulf
Last month, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Qatari Men's Football World Cup, Mohamed ben Zayed nevertheless congratulated his counterpart by telephone.
In the stands, the Emirates were represented by the Emir of Dubai.
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Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani
Mohammad bin Zayed
United Arab Emirates
Qatar