Emirates and Qatar continue to develop their relations
The geopolitical landscape in the Middle East is constantly evolving. While a few years ago Qatar was considered an international pariah because of its alleged support for terrorism, it is now emerging as a regional power through its energy resources and diplomacy.
The blockade imposed on Doha by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt back in 2017 is more than forgotten. This new harmony, which began in January 2021, has been staged on several occasions at meetings, summits and even sporting events. During the World Cup in Qatar, we saw, for example, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi together with the Qatari emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, or Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wearing a Qatari scarf to cheer on the national team, something unimaginable just a few years ago. Similarly, Al-Thani waved a Saudi flag during Saudi Arabia's match against Argentina.
Doha has also made efforts to improve its bilateral relations with the UAE. After President Mohamed bin Zayed visited Qatar for the first time since the blockade earlier this month, the two countries continue to strengthen ties in different areas.
The Emirati president's trip was followed by a visit by Saqr Ghobash, president of the Federal National Council (FNC), the national parliament. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, the UAE's national security adviser, has previously visited Qatar and has travelled to Doha on as many as two occasions.
Ghobash met with the chairman of Qatar's Shura Council - the country's legislative body - Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim, who, at the beginning of the meeting, stressed "the close ties between the two countries", according to the Emirati news agency WAM.
Ghobash, for his part, stressed the importance of parliamentary relations and the exchange of knowledge in this field. He also congratulated Qatar on its national day, on the organisation of the World Cup and on the "significant overall development" of the country.
As reported by WAM, the bilateral summit discussed the relations between the two countries and their current parliamentary cooperation. They also stressed the importance of coordinating efforts in regional and international parliamentary events to achieve common goals and support the interests of the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Following the end of the blockade, the UAE and Qatar met for the first time in February 2021, just one month after the resumption of relations. Through two high-level delegations, Doha and Abu Dhabi agreed to develop "joint mechanism and procedures" to consolidate ties in this new phase. Since then, the two countries have held numerous meetings with the aim of bringing them closer together and increasing the partnership.