Egypt–Qatar Relations

Egypt–Qatar relations are the bilateral relations between the State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt. They first began in 1972.

Diplomatic representation

By January 1973, just two years after Qatar gained its independence, Egypt was among the eighteen countries that Qatar appointed an ambassador to.

Political disputes

Egypt boycotted the MEMA Conference in Qatar in 1997 after asserting that Qatar was financing Islamic militant organizations in Egypt. They also accused Qatar's media of harboring an anti-Egypt agenda. The conflict was mediated by Saudi Arabia later that year, but weeks after the intervention, Qatari authorities laid off 700 Egyptian workers in private and public sectors. During the conference, the Qatari foreign minister accused Egypt of supporting the 'plotters', referring to the 110 individuals tried over the February 1996 counter-coup attempt against emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Qatar began denying entry visas to Egyptian citizens and reportedly harassed Egyptian laborers.

Since 2010, Qatar has introduced conditions for low paid migrant workers including raising the minimum wage and addressing the more effective labour mobility. In 2021, the head of World Cup 2022 organising committee, Hassan Al Thawadi acknowledged Qatar’s measures towards improving labour reforms that benefited workers.

Relations after the 2013 Egyptian revolution

In July 2013, the Egyptian military ousted Qatari-supported president Mohamed Morsi, a Muslim cleric who is alleged to have had a prominent role within the intellectual leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood.

In March 2014, three Arab states removed their ambassadors from Qatar in protest of alleged "interference y Qatarin their internal affairs", which included financially supporting the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Around December 2014, Qatar moved to mend relations with Egypt amid pressure from other Persian Gulf countries, primarily Saudi Arabia.

In February 2015, a month after the death of Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, another rift in relations emerged after Egypt conducted an airstrike over an ISIL bastion in Libya following the beheading of Egyptian Copts. The airstrikes were condemned by Al Jazeera, who broadcast images of civilian victims. Additionally, Qatar's foreign ministry expressed reservations over the airstrikes. This prompted Tariq Adel, Egypt's delegate to the Arab League, to accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism. Egyptian citizens also launched an online campaign denouncing Qatar. The GCC rejected Egypt's accusations and its secretary general regarded the statements to be false. Shortly after, Qatar recalled its ambassador to Egypt for consultations.

2017 diplomatic crisis

On 5 June 2017, the government of Egypt, along with those of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, announced the severance of their diplomatic relations with Qatar. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced it was closing its operations to Qatari transportation. The Egyptian, Saudi, Bahraini, and Emirati governments cited Qatar's continuing support for "terrorism", such as the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is banned by the government and considered a terrorist organization. Islam Hassan argues "Egypt has had troubled relations with Qatar for many years, except during the presidential period of Mohamed Morsi