Emir of Qatar Discusses with Macron Future of Palestinian Cause

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, left, shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron during a state dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (AP)
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, left, shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron during a state dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (AP)
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Emir of Qatar Discusses with Macron Future of Palestinian Cause

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, left, shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron during a state dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (AP)
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, left, shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron during a state dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (AP)

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said on Tuesday he discussed with French President Emmanuel Macron the future of the Palestinian cause, saying it was the “cornerstone of Qatar's international and regional concerns.”

The leaders met in Paris during Sheikh Tamim’s two-day official state visit to France.

In a post on his official X account, Sheikh Tamim said he held “fruitful talks” with Macron on strengthening “our strategic partnership in accordance with a comprehensive bilateral cooperation that elevates our common aspirations.”

“We discussed the future of the Palestinian cause as it is the cornerstone of Qatar's international and regional concerns, and we are exerting every effort to stop the war in Gaza and deliver aid to our brothers,” he added, according to the Qatari state news agency (QNA).

“The world sees a genocide of the Palestinian people. Hunger, forced displacement, savage bombardments are used as weapons. And the international community still hasn't managed to adopt a unified position to end the war in Gaza and provide the strict minimum of protection for children, women and civilians,” he later added at a dinner banquet thrown by Macron in his honor.

Sheikh Tamim had arrived in Paris on Tuesday to meet senior officials and bolster cooperation between Qatar and France and tackle regional and international issues of interest.



Two Holy Mosques Welcome Over 122 Million Visitors During Ramadan

Worshippers are seen at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)
Worshippers are seen at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)
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Two Holy Mosques Welcome Over 122 Million Visitors During Ramadan

Worshippers are seen at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)
Worshippers are seen at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque said that over 122 million worshippers prayed at the holy site during Ramadan.

A total of 122,286,712 visited, including 16,558,241 performing Umrah, 75,573,928 praying at the Grand Mosque, and 30,154,543 visiting the Prophet's Mosque, it revealed according to the Saudi Press Agency on Monday.

To efficiently manage the massive crowds, the authority adopted advanced technology, employing sensor readers at the main entrances of the Grand Mosque.

This technology allows real-time monitoring of crowd flow, improving operational efficiency and crowd management in collaboration with relevant authorities.