Cairo joined Gulf allies in cutting ties with Doha in June 2017 over its support for the Muslim Brotherhood, soft line on Iran DOHA: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi visited Qatar on Tuesday for the first time since a four-year rift between Cairo and Doha, the royal palace announced. Qatar News Agency described the visit as marking “a new era in relations” between the two Arab countries. Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received the president upon his arrival at Hamad International Airport. Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Amiri Diwan Chief Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al-Thani, Qatari Ambassador to Egypt Salem bin Mubarak Al Shafi and Egyptian Ambassador to Qatar Amr El-Sherbiny were also present to greet President El-Sisi. The emir visited Cairo in June, when Qatari investments in cash-strapped Egypt were on the agenda, as well as cooperation in the energy and agriculture sectors. In late March, Cairo said Qatar planned to invest five billion dollars in Egypt, while hydrocarbon giant QatarEnergy announced an agreement with US major ExxonMobil to acquire a 40-percent stake in a gas exploration block off Egypt in the Mediterranean. Cairo had joined Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies, the UAE and Bahrain, in cutting ties with Doha in June 2017 over its support for the Muslim Brotherhood and alleged soft line on Iran. Their blockade of Qatar was lifted in January 2021. * With AFP