Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will visit Qatar on Tuesday for the first time since a four-year rift between Cairo and Doha.
The Qatari palace said on Twitter that Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will meet with Sisi on Tuesday, during the visit described by official news agency QNA as one marking “a new era in relations” between the two Arab countries.
An informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Sisi will discuss with Qatar’s Emir means of bolstering bilateral ties at the political and economic levels.
The source expressed hope that the two-day visit would achieve a “tangible progress” at the level of political understandings on bilateral issues, Gaza and Libya crises, and some issues of common interest.
Sheikh Tamim visited Cairo in June, during which talks focused on strengthening relations and joint coordination.
The Cairo summit between the two leaders reflected progress in bilateral ties and the consolidation of the course of developing them in all fields, an Egyptian presidential statement read.
“This comes in line within the interests of the two brotherly countries and peoples, and in light of the sincere mutual intentions between the two sides.”
Cairo had joined Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies, the UAE and Bahrain, in cutting ties with Doha in June 2017.
Their blockade of Qatar was lifted in January 2021 during the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council summit, which was hosted by Saudi Arabia.
Since then, Sisi and Sheikh Tamim have met on several occasions in various countries and held bilateral talks on the sidelines of international events and conferences.
