Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Friday headed to Egypt for a working visit for the first time since 2015.
He met Sisi for the first time since the dispute at a summit in Iraq last year.
According to a statement by the emir’s office, Amiri Diwan, Al Thani left Rwanda, which he was visiting, for Cairo upon an invitation from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
A source told the Egyptian news website Cairo24 that the visit aims to fully normalize relations between the two countries and boost Qatari investments in Egypt.
Read more: Visitors from Qatar are no longer welcomed in Egypt
Al Thani’s visit comes days after Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Egypt and announced investments worth $7.7 billion.
Saudi Arabia has already provided billions in support since Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power in 2014, and Cairo is struggling with the economic knock-on effects of the Ukraine war.
The prince and Sisi discussed trade, investment and security, as well as a regional summit in Saudi Arabia next month that will be attended by U.S. President Joe Biden, a statement from Egypt’s presidency said.
Egypt's President Al-Sisi welcomes Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani upon his arrival in Cairo on his first official visit to Egypt in seven years. pic.twitter.com/2ELtRDK3uA
— Mahmoud Gamal (@mahmouedgamal44) June 24, 2022
The 14 deals signed on Tuesday ranged from renewable energy to petroleum, food and fintech.
Qatar and Egypt restored diplomatic ties in January 2021 following the signing of a reconciliation agreement in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, which brought down the curtain on the Gulf crisis that broke out in the 2017 summer.
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain had boycotted Qatar since 2017 over charges it supports terrorism, a reference to Islamist groups. Qatar denied the accusation.
Read more: Saudi Arabia stepping up efforts to replace UAE and Qatar?
With Egypt facing economic headwinds as a result of the war in Ukraine, its cabinet said in March that Egypt and Qatar had agreed to sign investment deals worth $5 billion.
Anadolu with additional input by GVS News Desk