Sheikh Tamim had visited Syria in January in what marked the first such visit by an Arab leader to the country since the ouster of Assad.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa held discussions at the Amiri Diwan in Doha over the enhancement of bilateral cooperation, in addition to regional and international developments.
“The two sides reviewed the bilateral relations between their countries[…]especially in the political and diplomatic fields. The talks also addressed key regional and international developments and included an exchange of views on ways to enhance regional security and stability,” the Amiri Diwan said in a statement on Tuesday.
Sheikh Tamim personally welcomed the Syrian president and his accompanying delegation, which included Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani, upon their arrival at the Hamad International Airport.
Al-Sharaa’s visit to the Gulf state marked his first since taking office after the fall of the Bashar Al-Assad regime last December.
The discussions at the Amiri Diwan also saw the attendance of Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in addition to other senior officials.
Sheikh Tamim, in a post on X, said he was pleased to meet the Syrian leader “and to have held discussions that covered a wide range of areas of bilateral cooperation across various fields”.
“The fraternal relations between our two brotherly countries are witnessing significant growth and development, thanks to our shared commitment to strengthening and advancing them. We are working together to elevate these relations to the desired level that serves the mutual interests of both countries,” Sheikh Tamim said.
The Syrian leader echoed the same sentiment, expressing his appreciation for Qatar’s solid stance towards his country and its people.
“We will never forget Qatar’s genuine stance and steadfast support for the Syrian people[…]I wish the State of Qatar, its leadership and people continued success and well-being,” Al-Sharaa said in a statement.
Increased engagement
Qatar has maintained its position against the former Assad regime for its brutal crimes against its own people. The Gulf state had severed ties with the regime in response to its crackdown on peaceful protests in 2011 that plunged the country into a deadly war.
The Gulf state was also the first to establish a diplomatic mission for the Syrian opposition in its capital, Doha.
The fall of Assad on December 8, 2024, following an offensive by Al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, saw growing engagements between Syria and the international community.
Qatar re-opened its embassy in Damascus within days for the first time in 13 years and sent a high-level Qatari delegation led by Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, on December 23, 2024.
A technical aviation team from Doha accompanied the Qatari delegation to assess the readiness of the Damascus Airport to resume its operations, which was accomplished on January 7, when Qatar Airways became the first flight to land at the facility.
Syria’s foreign minister also visited Doha on January 5 in what marked his first visit to the Gulf state after Assad’s fall.
Qatar’s prime minister then visited Damascus on January 16, followed days later by a visit by Sheikh Tamim, the first by an Arab leader to the country since the ouster of Assad.
Meanwhile, in March, Syria commended Qatar’s initiative to alleviate its severe power shortage by supplying 400 megawatts of electricity daily to the Deir Ali power plant through Jordan.
