Abdel Fattah El Sisi is welcomed by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim. Photo: Emiri Diwan of the State of Qatar
Abdel Fattah El Sisi is welcomed by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim. Photo: Emiri Diwan of the State of Qatar
Abdel Fattah El Sisi is welcomed by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim. Photo: Emiri Diwan of the State of Qatar
Abdel Fattah El Sisi is welcomed by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim. Photo: Emiri Diwan of the State of Qatar

Egypt pushes for greater Qatari role on Gaza during Sisi visit


Kamal Tabikha
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

Egypt has called for greater co-operation with Qatar in tackling the Gaza crisis and other regional challenges during a visit to the Gulf state by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, during which he said Doha's role was critical.

In a statement on Monday, a spokesman for Mr El Sisi said he and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held extensive discussions on the second day of his trip. Monday's talks focused on co-ordinated efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, halt the escalation in violence, and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.

Both leaders reaffirmed their unequivocal rejection of any forced displacement of Palestinians from their land, stressing the need to support the Arab plan for Gaza’s reconstruction without uprooting the population. The spokesman also said the two leaders reiterated their commitment to pursuing a political solution that would lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The two countries also discussed investment, with plans being drawn up for Qatar to invest $7.5 billion in Egypt.

In a separate statement on Sunday evening, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Egypt and Qatar, in co-ordination with international partners including the US, are working to halt attacks on civilians in Gaza and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid. The current escalation in Israeli military operations will only worsen civilian suffering and destabilise the region further, he added.

Current regional and international developments require continuing consultation between President El Sisi and Qatar’s Emir, Egypt's Foreign Ministry said. The ministry also highlighted growing economic co-operation between Egypt and Qatar, saying both countries are leveraging their partnership to address shared priorities.

Mr Abdelatty said Qatari investors had shown great interest in Egypt’s economic reforms and progress building infrastructure, which were central topics during Mr El Sisi’s meetings with Qatari officials and business leaders. The visit by Mr El Sisi to Doha, which began on Sunday as the first stop on a Gulf tour that will also include Kuwait, indicates strengthening ties after years of strained relations.

Palestinians ferry their belongings as they arrive in Gaza city. AFP
Palestinians ferry their belongings as they arrive in Gaza city. AFP

It is Mr El Sisi’s third visit to Qatar as president, following two trips in 2022 after the normalisation of relations through the 2021 Al Ula Declaration.

Economic collaboration has been a central pillar of the latest visit. On Sunday evening, Mr El Sisi met with leading Qatari business figures, including Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, along with representatives of major companies and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mr El Sisi urged Qatari investors to expand their presence in Egypt and outlined opportunities in sectors such as renewable energy, manufacturing, tourism and high-tech industries, including artificial intelligence. Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El Khatib, who accompanied Mr El Sisi to Doha, said Egypt has invested $550 billion over the past decade in infrastructure projects, including 7,000km of new roads, 24 cities, and seaports.

He said the investments and reforms were intended to boost Egypt’s exports to more than $145 billion by 2030 and place the country among the top 50 globally in trade indices within three years. Foreign Minister Mr Abdelatty said new investment projects and agreements between Egypt and Qatar would be announced soon. President El Sisi will next head to Kuwait.

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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

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About Karol Nawrocki

• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.

• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.

• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.

• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm

Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Price: from Dh317,671

On sale: now

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
The Matrix Resurrections

Director: Lana Wachowski

Stars:  Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick 

Rating:****

Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

What are the main cyber security threats?

Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km

Price: from Dh547,600

On sale: now 

Why seagrass matters
  • Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
  • Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
  • Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
  • Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

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Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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%3Cp%3ENon-oil%20trade%20between%20the%20UAE%20and%20Japan%20grew%20by%2034%20per%20cent%20over%20the%20past%20two%20years%2C%20according%20to%20data%20from%20the%20Federal%20Competitiveness%20and%20Statistics%20Centre.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%2010%20years%2C%20it%20has%20reached%20a%20total%20of%20Dh524.4%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECars%20topped%20the%20list%20of%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20re-exported%20to%20Japan%20in%202022%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh1.3%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJewellery%20and%20ornaments%20amounted%20to%20Dh150%20million%20while%20precious%20metal%20scraps%20amounted%20to%20Dh105%20million.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERaw%20aluminium%20was%20ranked%20first%20among%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20exported%20to%20Japan.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETop%20of%20the%20list%20of%20commodities%20imported%20from%20Japan%20in%202022%20was%20cars%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh20.08%20billion.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What should do investors do now?

What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor? 

Should I be euphoric?

No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.

So what happened?

It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.

"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."

Should I buy? Should I sell?

Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.

"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.

All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.

Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.

Will the rally last?

No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.

"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."

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While you're here

England v South Africa Test series:

First Test: at Lord's, England won by 211 runs

Second Test: at Trent Bridge, South Africa won by 340 runs

Third Test: at The Oval, July 27-31

Fourth Test: at Old Trafford, August 4-8

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: April 14, 2025, 8:25 PM`