Egypt and Qatar Aim to Strengthen Cooperation on Regional Developments

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani meets Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly in Doha on Saturday (Egyptian cabinet presidency)
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani meets Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly in Doha on Saturday (Egyptian cabinet presidency)
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Egypt and Qatar Aim to Strengthen Cooperation on Regional Developments

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani meets Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly in Doha on Saturday (Egyptian cabinet presidency)
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani meets Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly in Doha on Saturday (Egyptian cabinet presidency)

Egypt and Qatar on Saturday emphasized the significance of continuing their cooperation to address the challenges posed by the ongoing regional developments.
Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, highlighted the joint coordination between both countries on the various issues currently under consideration, with a focus on advancing the mutual interests of both nations.
Madbouly’s remarks came after holding talks with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the 22nd edition of the Doha Forum 2024, held in Qatar on Saturday and Sunday.
A statement by the presidency of the Egyptian cabinet said Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani expressed his appreciation for the important and pioneering role played by the Egyptian state in both the global and regional contexts, particularly in light of the current developments in the region.
He also emphasized the importance of continued cooperation and solidarity between Egypt and Qatar in addressing the challenges posed by ongoing regional developments.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad also reiterated his commitment to maintaining open and permanent communication channels with the Egyptian government.
The Emir then referred to his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi last month on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The two officials discussed several issues of mutual interest, particularly the need to strengthen bilateral cooperation in light of regional events.
The Emir also highlighted the recent visit of the Qatari Prime Minister to Egypt, stressing the importance of building on this visit and advancing the ongoing work on joint cooperation files between the two countries.
Late last month, Sisi met with Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, in Cairo. The two sides discussed the joint endeavors of both nations to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, facilitate the release of captives, and ensure the unconditional provision of humanitarian and relief aid to the enclave.
They also emphasized the importance of coordinated actions to support the Palestinian people and uphold their legitimate rights to establish a sovereign and independent state in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions while safeguarding Palestinian national interests.
For over a year, Egypt, Qatar, and the US have spearheaded mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas to end the war in the Gaza Strip.
On Saturday, Madbouly conveyed the warm greetings of Sisi to Sheikh Tamim.
He expressed the President's sincere desire to further enhance cooperation and coordination between the two countries across various sectors, building on the significant progress achieved in the Egyptian-Qatari bilateral relations at political, economic, and investment levels in recent months.
Madbouly affirmed that consultations will continue with Qatari government working teams to implement the agreements made during the Qatari Prime Minister's visit to Egypt at the end of November.
The PM also expressed hope that the discussed projects will be implemented promptly.
During a meeting last month in Cairo, Madbouly and his Qatari counterpart reviewed ways to enhance cooperation at all levels, especially in the political, economic, investment, trade and humanitarian fields, in a way that meets the aspirations of the two brotherly peoples.
Madbouly had announced that Egypt and Qatar will collaborate on a significant real estate investment project in the country's North Coast region.
He said the project is expected to be a major boost to Egypt's tourism and real estate sectors.

 



US Ambassador Causes Uproar by Claiming Israel has a Right to Much of the Middle East

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is seen during an interview in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is seen during an interview in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)
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US Ambassador Causes Uproar by Claiming Israel has a Right to Much of the Middle East

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is seen during an interview in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is seen during an interview in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)

Arab and Muslim nations on Saturday sharply condemned comments by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who said Israel has a right to much of the Middle East.

Huckabee made the comments in an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that aired Friday. Carlson said that according to the Bible, the descendants of Abraham would receive land that today would include essentially the entire Middle East, and asked Huckabee if Israel had a right to that land, The AP news reported.

Huckabee responded: “It would be fine if they took it all." Huckabee added, however, that Israel was not looking to expand its territory and has a right to security in the land it legitimately holds.

His comments sparked immediate backlash from neighboring Egypt and Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States.

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry described Huckabee's comments as “extremist rhetoric” and “unacceptable,” and called for the State Department to clarify its position on them.

Egypt's foreign ministry called his comments a “blatant violation” of international law, adding that “Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory or other Arab lands.”

“Statements of this nature — extremist and lacking any sound basis — serve only to inflame sentiments and stir religious and national emotions,” the League of Arab States said.

Since its establishment in 1948, Israel has not had fully recognized borders. Its frontiers with Arab neighbors have shifted as a result of wars, annexations, ceasefires and peace agreements.

During the six-day 1967 Mideast war, Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan, Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt and the Golan Heights from Syria. Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula as part of a peace deal with Egypt following the 1973 Mideast war. It also unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005.

Israel has attempted to deepen control of the occupied West Bank in recent months. It has greatly expanded construction in Jewish settlements, legalized outposts and made significant bureaucratic changes to its policies in the territory. US President Donald Trump has said he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank and has offered strong assurances that he’d block any move to do so.

Palestinians have for decades called for an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza with east Jerusalem its capital, a claim backed by much of the international community.

Huckabee, an evangelical Christian and strong supporter of Israel and the West Bank settlement movement, has long opposed the idea of a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinian people. In an interview last year, he said he does not believe in referring to the Arab descendants of people who had lived in British-controlled Palestine as “Palestinians.”

In the latest interview, Carlson pressed Huckabee about his interpretation of Bible verses from the book of Genesis, where he said God promised Abraham and his descendants land from the Nile to the Euphrates.

“That would be the Levant, so that would be Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon. It would also be big parts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq," Carlson said.

Huckabee replied: “Not sure we'd go that far. I mean, it would be a big piece of land."

Israel has encroached on more land since the start of its war with Hamas in Gaza, which was sparked by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Under the current ceasefire, Israel withdrew its troops to a buffer zone but still controls more than half the territory. Israeli forces are supposed to withdraw further, though the ceasefire deal doesn’t give a timeline.

After Syrian President Bashar Assad was ousted at the end of 2024, Israel's military seized control of a demilitarized buffer zone in Syria created as part of a 1974 ceasefire between the countries. Israel said the move was temporary and meant to secure its border.

And Israel still occupies five hilltop posts on Lebanese territory following its brief war with Hezbollah in 2024.


Libya’s Ramadan Celebrations Tempered by Economic Woes

A family walks on their way to shop for Ramadan decorations ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Benghazi, Libya, February 16, 2026. (Reuters)
A family walks on their way to shop for Ramadan decorations ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Benghazi, Libya, February 16, 2026. (Reuters)
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Libya’s Ramadan Celebrations Tempered by Economic Woes

A family walks on their way to shop for Ramadan decorations ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Benghazi, Libya, February 16, 2026. (Reuters)
A family walks on their way to shop for Ramadan decorations ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Benghazi, Libya, February 16, 2026. (Reuters)

Libyans have been enjoying Ramadan with feasts and fireworks -- but soaring prices, a devalued currency and political divisions have left many with little to celebrate.

Fifteen years on from the fall of longtime leader Moammar al-Gaddafi, the country remains split between east and west, while shortages of goods, including fuel, disrupt daily life, despite Libya sitting atop vast oil and gas reserves.

During the holy month of Ramadan, shoppers stock up on treats, as families gather for lavish meals before and after the daytime fast that stretches from sunrise to sunset.

But this year supermarkets have been rationing their goods, while many petrol stations are short of gas. In the capital Tripoli, most ATMs were out of cash this week.

Firas Zreeg, 37, told AFP while weaving through a crowded supermarket that the economy was deteriorating, blaming currency speculators for the fall in the dinar, "which has negative repercussions on our daily lives".

The price of cooking oil has doubled in recent weeks, while meat and poultry prices rose by half.

Refills of gas cylinders, officially priced at 1.5 dinars ($0.24) but often unavailable through state-run distributors, now sell for 75 dinars ($11.85) on the black market and at times more.

- 'Burden on citizens' -

Libya has struggled to recover from the chaos that erupted following the 2011 uprising that toppled Gaddafi.

It remains divided between the Government of National Unity (GNU) based in Tripoli and an eastern administration backed by Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar.

The country has largely been stable in recent years although there have been bouts of deadly violence, including the killing of Gaddafi's son and heir apparent Seif al-Islam this month.

With security holding, many Libyans are more focused on their livelihoods.

Last month, the central bank in the western territory devalued the dinar -- the second time in less than a year -- by nearly 15 percent, "aimed at preserving financial and monetary stability and ensuring the sustainability of public resources".

In an address this week, GNU leader Abdulhamid Dbeibah acknowledged that the devaluation had once again "put the burden on citizens".

Hanna Tetteh, head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, warned on Wednesday that "poverty and pressure on society [are] increasing".

"The situation, in addition to the fragile security landscape, should be a matter for concern as such conditions can lead to unexpected political and security challenges," she told the UN Security Council.

Libya's other economic problems included the absence of a unified national budget, in light of its political divide, as well as uncoordinated public spending due to parallel state institutions, Tetteh said.

Revenues from the oil industry were also declining, she added, while the central bank has said public spending is growing at an unsustainable pace.

On Tuesday, Libya marked 15 years since the start of the uprising, with fireworks lighting up the sky in Tripoli, but for many Libyans life remains a struggle.

"Minor improvements in security were made over the past three years," Zreeg told AFP, but Libyans are still faced with huge economic challenges.


Libya PM Undergoes 'Successful' Treatment at Heart Hospital

Head of Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibah. (GNU)
Head of Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibah. (GNU)
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Libya PM Undergoes 'Successful' Treatment at Heart Hospital

Head of Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibah. (GNU)
Head of Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibah. (GNU)

Libya's Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah has undergone "successful" treatment at a heart hospital, his office said Saturday, but his specific ailment was not disclosed.

"I assure you that I am fine, by God's grace," said a statement posted on social media overnight.

The treatment was carried out at a facility in the northwestern Libyan city of Misrata on an undisclosed date, said AFP.

Dbeibah said he later travelled abroad for "additional medical checkups for reassurance", though this was not the primary reason for his trip.

Italian media outlets previously reported he had been admitted to a leading cardiac facility in Milan on Thursday for a general check-up.

"The matter is simply that I underwent some additional medical checkups for reassurance while I was abroad due to a prior external commitment," he said.

"The results confirmed the success of the treatment I received in Libya, praise be to God."

The prime minister leads a UN-recognized government based in Tripoli that controls western Libya, while the country's east is run by another administration backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.

Libya has remained divided since chaos erupted following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi.