The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, met with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, today, Saturday, in Beijing. The Qatari news agency "QNA" reported that Sheikh Tamim met with a number of "leaders of brotherly and friendly countries and senior officials" during the lunch hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, honoring the guests and heads of delegations participating in the 24th Winter Olympic Games held in the Chinese capital, Beijing.
The agency confirmed that among the leaders whom the Emir of Qatar spoke with during the event was the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and it published a photo from their informal meeting. At the same time, a 20-second video clip went viral on social media, documenting the conversation between Sheikh Tamim and Sheikh Mohammed, where the meeting appeared friendly, showcasing an extended handshake between the two leaders.
This meeting is the first between the Al Thani and Al Nahyan families since the onset of the Gulf crisis on June 5, 2017, when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt severed their relations with Qatar. This tension ended on January 5, 2021, with the signing of a reconciliation agreement that "confirmed Gulf unity" during the Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia.
