The arrival of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Cairo, his first visit to Egypt since 2015, is tied to the continued advance of the normalization process that began in January 2021 between the two countries and between the two leaders. This is their second meeting since the end of the Arab Quartet's boycott of Qatar, in which Egypt also participated.
The two leaders, El-Sisi and Tamim, seized the reins of power in their respective countries almost simultaneously. At the meeting, the Egyptian President congratulated his guest on the ninth anniversary of his accession to the throne after succeeding his father, while the Qatari Emir congratulated his host on the ninth anniversary of the June 30, 2013 revolution.
This is no mere courtesy. Tensions between the two countries began following Qatar's siding with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and against the regime that ousted it. The current visit, however, comes after a decade of defeats suffered by political Islam in the Middle East – from Egypt, through Tunisia to Morocco and Sudan.
Patrons of political Islam, led by Qatar and Turkey, have gradually moved away from the Islamist project in favor of strengthening political and economic ties with the pragmatic Sunni "camp" led by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis and the war in Ukraine, economic considerations – more than ideological ones – have begun to set the tone. Interests of food security, energy, and stability emphasize what is shared over what divides and encourage joint regional action.
Sheikh Tamim's visit to Egypt comes after an intense week in which the kings of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Bahrain also visited Egypt, apparently with the aim of coordinating positions ahead of US President Biden's important visit to the region in mid-July. The Saudi heir arrived in Egypt with $7.7 billion in agreements in order to help Egypt in its economic crisis. Sheikh Tamim and el-Sisi will join the other leaders of the Gulf states, Jordan, and Iraq for a historic summit with Biden in Riyadh.
The meeting between el-Sisi and Sheikh Tamim comes in the wake of a significant improvement in Qatar's foreign relations, which strengthens its status and influence. In the background: Qatar's mediation in the nuclear talks with Iran; assistance to the United States in the context of the Afghanistan issue; the war in Ukraine, which illustrates its centrality in the global energy market, and its being the first Arab country to host the FIFA World Cup this year.
While the leaders' meeting was in the spotlight, the parallel meeting between the finance ministers of the two countries at the Qatar Economic Forum was no less important. The two signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen economic cooperation, which follows a $5 billion investment agreement by Qatar in Egypt, signed between the countries last March and covering a variety of areas, including banking, real estate, energy, trade, agriculture, and aviation.
The economic relations between Egypt and Qatar are accompanied by tightening political and security relations, which may affect many arenas in the region – the Gaza Strip, Libya, the Red Sea shipping routes, and the confrontation with Iran. Doha’s growing closeness to Cairo on these issues is also expected to be in line with the Israeli interest.
The arrival of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Cairo, his first visit to Egypt since 2015, is tied to the continued advance of the normalization process that began in January 2021 between the two countries and between the two leaders. This is their second meeting since the end of the Arab Quartet's boycott of Qatar, in which Egypt also participated.
The two leaders, El-Sisi and Tamim, seized the reins of power in their respective countries almost simultaneously. At the meeting, the Egyptian President congratulated his guest on the ninth anniversary of his accession to the throne after succeeding his father, while the Qatari Emir congratulated his host on the ninth anniversary of the June 30, 2013 revolution.
This is no mere courtesy. Tensions between the two countries began following Qatar's siding with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and against the regime that ousted it. The current visit, however, comes after a decade of defeats suffered by political Islam in the Middle East – from Egypt, through Tunisia to Morocco and Sudan.
Patrons of political Islam, led by Qatar and Turkey, have gradually moved away from the Islamist project in favor of strengthening political and economic ties with the pragmatic Sunni "camp" led by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis and the war in Ukraine, economic considerations – more than ideological ones – have begun to set the tone. Interests of food security, energy, and stability emphasize what is shared over what divides and encourage joint regional action.
Sheikh Tamim's visit to Egypt comes after an intense week in which the kings of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Bahrain also visited Egypt, apparently with the aim of coordinating positions ahead of US President Biden's important visit to the region in mid-July. The Saudi heir arrived in Egypt with $7.7 billion in agreements in order to help Egypt in its economic crisis. Sheikh Tamim and el-Sisi will join the other leaders of the Gulf states, Jordan, and Iraq for a historic summit with Biden in Riyadh.
The meeting between el-Sisi and Sheikh Tamim comes in the wake of a significant improvement in Qatar's foreign relations, which strengthens its status and influence. In the background: Qatar's mediation in the nuclear talks with Iran; assistance to the United States in the context of the Afghanistan issue; the war in Ukraine, which illustrates its centrality in the global energy market, and its being the first Arab country to host the FIFA World Cup this year.
While the leaders' meeting was in the spotlight, the parallel meeting between the finance ministers of the two countries at the Qatar Economic Forum was no less important. The two signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen economic cooperation, which follows a $5 billion investment agreement by Qatar in Egypt, signed between the countries last March and covering a variety of areas, including banking, real estate, energy, trade, agriculture, and aviation.
The economic relations between Egypt and Qatar are accompanied by tightening political and security relations, which may affect many arenas in the region – the Gaza Strip, Libya, the Red Sea shipping routes, and the confrontation with Iran. Doha’s growing closeness to Cairo on these issues is also expected to be in line with the Israeli interest.