United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan on Monday began a surprise visit to Qatar, his first since the boycott led since 2014 by four countries in the region that accused Doha of «supporting terrorism.»
According to reports carried by the Emirati state news agency, WAM, the Al Nahyan’s visit is taking place at the invitation of the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad al Zani, with the aim of reinforcing «brotherly relations» between the two countries and «exploring areas of mutual interest and strengthening bilateral ties.»
Qatar, which is hosting the World Cup these days, has recently improved its ties with the countries that led the boycott – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE – following the end of the boycott in January 2021, shortly before U.S. President Joe Biden was sworn in.
These countries announced in January 2021 an agreement with Qatar to reopen borders and end the blockade of Qatar. These countries had previously suffered ups and downs in their relations, especially over the Qatari authorities’ support for the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization outlawed in most Gulf countries, and the role of the Al-Jazeera network in covering the so-called ‘Arab Spring’.
However, and despite the fact that tensions rebounded in 2014 and involved the withdrawal of ambassadors, in the case of 2017 they involved a battery of much harsher measures that included the expulsion of citizens from the country and the closure of roads to means of transport arriving from Qatar.
