Sisi’s High-Stakes Visit to Qatar: Economic Pleas Amid Gulf Tensions
In a crucial diplomatic move, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi seeks Qatari investments amid strained ties with Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Watan-On his third visit since taking office, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi landed in the Qatari capital, Doha, where he met with Emir Tamim bin Hamad amidst a notable official reception. The visit has sparked wide speculation about its economic and political motives, especially amid reports of underlying tensions with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.
The visit comes at a sensitive time, coinciding with mounting economic pressures facing Cairo, and amid talk of Saudi discontent over Egypt’s recent moves regarding the Palestinian issue, along with hints at a decline in Gulf financial support for the Egyptian regime.
During his visit, Sisi made an explicit call to Qatari businessmen to increase their investments in Egypt, stressing his country’s readiness to offer major incentives, including large tracts of land for agricultural reclamation, and projects in tech manufacturing and infrastructure. This was stated during his meeting with the Qatari business community, in the presence of Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
While the Egyptian president tried to project an image of “openness and economic cooperation,” observers saw the visit as a clear plea for urgent funding, particularly just days after leaks suggested a Qatari role in reducing Egypt’s influence in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
Sisi’s Shift to Qatar: A Plea for Funding Amid Gulf Strains
The visit also coincides with a cooling of Egyptian–Saudi relations, especially amid undisclosed criticism from circles close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman regarding Egypt’s economic performance and its handling of Gulf investments.
Analysts see Sisi’s trip to Qatar as an attempt to escape pressure from other Gulf states and reposition himself politically and economically in Doha’s embrace—Doha now holding complex threads in regional files, from Palestine to energy and investment.
Meanwhile, as Egypt’s official media remains silent on the Gulf tensions, online platforms are abuzz with harsh criticism, portraying Sisi as having shifted from a strategic partner of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to a funding seeker in Tamim’s court.
