Joint Statement Issued at Conclusion of HRH the Crown Prince's Visit to State of Qatar

Doha, December 6, 2023, SPA -- At the conclusion of the visit of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to the State of Qatar, and the convening of the seventh meeting of the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council, a joint statement was issued.
The text of the joint statement is as follows:
Based on the deeply-rooted historical ties and fraternal relations between the leaderships of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Qatar, and their respective brotherly peoples; in order to enhance their bilateral relations; building on the positive outcomes achieved through mutual fraternal visits by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and his brother His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar, which have contributed to expanding the scope of cooperation between the two countries; and based on the fruitful outcomes of the sixth meeting of the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council held in Qatar on 5/5/1443 AH corresponding to 12/9/2021 AD, which came in response to a gracious invitation from Sheikh Tamim, HRH the Crown Prince undertook an official visit to the State of Qatar on 21/5/1445 AH corresponding to 12/5/2023 AD.
In an atmosphere characterized by the spirit of cordiality, fraternity, and mutual trust, the seventh meeting of the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council was held during the visit, co-chaired by HRH the Crown Prince and Sheikh Tamim. The meeting was attended by Their Highnesses, Excellencies, and dignitaries who are members of the council, heads of sub-committees, and members of the executive committee from both sides.
At the beginning of the meeting, Sheikh Tamim welcomed his brother, the Crown Prince, and the accompanying delegation to their second home, the State of Qatar. In his opening remarks, Sheikh Tamim expressed the depth of the fraternal and historical relations between the two countries and their brotherly peoples.
HRH the Crown Prince expressed his happiness at revisiting his second home, the sisterly State of Qatar, and meeting with his brother, Sheikh Tamim. In his address, HRH the Crown Prince highlighted the rapid development and cooperation across various levels in bilateral relations between the two countries. He considered this Council as one of the most important means of communication and coordination, embodying the deep-rooted ties between them. HRH the Crown Prince also emphasized the serious commitment to deepen and expand areas of bilateral cooperation, aiming to achieve a future renaissance and sustainable growth for both countries and their peoples.
Sheikh Tamim extended his congratulations to the HRH the Crown Prince on the victory of Riyadh to host the World Expo 2030 and the Kingdom's bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
HRH the Crown Prince appreciated the support and endorsement of the government of the State of Qatar for the candidacy of Riyadh to host the World Expo 2030 and the Kingdom's bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
The heads of the Council, HRH the Crown Prince, and his brother Sheikh Tamim, expressed their satisfaction with the outcomes, results, and positive initiatives reached in the meetings of the Council’s sub-committees. They also highlighted the consensus on signing several agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs), which would enhance cooperation between the two countries in various fields.
They emphasized the importance of continuing to support and develop the council and its sub-committees, along with maintaining ongoing coordination between both sides, in a way that contributes to enhancing its effectiveness as an institutionalized and organized tool for collaborative efforts in various fields. They also stressed the need to follow up on the implementation of recommendations and initiatives from the sub-committees with the support and backing of both the executive committee and the general secretariat of the Council.
In the political regard, both parties expressed their satisfaction with the advanced level reached in political consultations, reflecting the depth of the existing fraternal relationship between them. Moreover, they emphasized the importance of continuing to strengthen and enhance political cooperation and consultation between the two countries regarding regional and international issues of mutual interest.
In the security and military context, both parties highlighted the importance of enhancing security and military cooperation to contribute to the support of the region's security and stability. Additionally, they underscored the strengthening of collaboration in areas such as military training, military scholarships, exchange of expertise, and the establishment of partnerships in security and military domains.
Regarding sports, the two sides commended the joint coordination during the 2022 World Cup in the State of Qatar and the cooperation between the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and the Qatar Football Association, and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy organizing the 2022 World Cup, as well as the cooperation between the relevant government agencies of the two countries in facilitating the procedures of transporting the masses, including coordination at land and air ports.
In the economic, trade and investment fields, the two sides stressed the importance of enhancing economic partnerships, developing joint work to diversify and increase the volume of trade exchange between the two countries, facilitating the flow of commercial traffic, overcoming any challenges, and investing in the opportunities available within the framework of the Saudi Vision 2030 and the Qatar National Vision 2030, and transforming them into tangible partnerships in all fields for the benefit of the economies of the two countries and their brotherly peoples. They also stressed the importance of raising the pace of investment cooperation and supporting economic integration opportunities in several targeted sectors in the two countries.
Concerning investments, energy and infrastructure, the two sides stressed the importance of maintaining discussions on ways to expand joint investment partnerships and cooperation in promoting and developing economic ventures and enabling entrepreneurship and technology through the relevant authorities in the two countries, as well as launching the Saudi-Qatari initiative for digital skills between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in the State of Qatar. They also expressed their desire to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in the fields of energy, including electricity, energy efficiency, and renewable energy, the future of transportation and its modern technologies, railway connectivity between the two countries, agriculture, and food security.
In the media field, the two sides agreed to establish a strategic partnership between the Ministry of Media in the Kingdom and the Qatar Media Corporation in all sectors, including raising the reliability of media content, keeping up with media events and working to highlight them globally, in addition to exchanging programs and joint production, and regulation of visual and audio media.
A number of agreements and memoranda of understanding were also signed, including cooperation in the field of central bank in the two countries, youth and sports sectors.
Regarding regional issues, the two sides discussed the developments in Palestine and expressed deep concern about the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the brutal crimes committed in the territory which led to the deaths of thousands of unarmed civilians, children, women, and elderly people and the destruction of vital institutions, places of worship, and infrastructure as a result of the flagrant assaults of the Israeli occupation authorities.
They also underlined the need to halt military operations in the Palestinian territories and provide protection to civilians according to the international law and international humanitarian law, stressing the important role of the international community in putting an end to Israel’s violations of the international law and international humanitarian law and exercising pressure on Israel to stop its brutal attacks and forced displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
The two sides also stressed the importance of enabling international humanitarian organizations to carry out their delivery of relief aid to the Palestinian people, including United Nations agencies, mainly UNRWA, underlying the need for intensified efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just resolution to the Palestinian question on the basis of the two-state solution, the Arab Peace Initiative, and relevant international legitimacy resolutions which guarantee the realization of the right of the Palestinian people to an independent state of their own on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
In this regard, the Qatari side valued the Kingdom’s hosting of the extraordinary Joint Arab Islamic Summit in Riyadh, and the decisions it adopted that contribute to delivering a unified collective stance from the Arab and Islamic countries towards the current affairs in Palestine, praising the Kingdom’s leadership of the efforts exerted to implement the summit’s decisions to crystallize international action to stop the aggression against Gaza.
The Saudi side appreciated the steadfast efforts made by Qatar, including the success of the mediation that led to reaching the humanitarian truce agreement in Gaza aiming to deliver humanitarian and relief aid and fuel to meet the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, the release of detainees, its continued endeavor to reach a comprehensive ceasefire, and reach an agreement on the evacuation of foreign passport holders and some injured civilians from the Gaza Strip.
Regarding the Yemeni issue, the two sides confirmed the importance of fully supporting international and regional efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis, appreciated the international efforts to bolster commitment to the truce, and highlighted the importance of the positive engagement of all concerned parties with international and UN efforts aimed at ending the Yemeni crisis and dealing seriously with peace initiatives and efforts, in accordance with the outcomes of the Comprehensive National Dialogue Conference and UN Security Council Resolution 2216.
The Qatari side praised the Kingdom’s efforts and its several initiatives aimed at boosting dialogue and reconciliation between the Yemeni parties, its role in providing and facilitating the arrival of humanitarian aid to all regions of Yemen, the financial support it provides to address the difficult financial conditions facing the Yemeni government, and the development projects provided by the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY).
Regarding developments in the situation in Sudan, the two sides stressed the importance of the commitment of both parties of the conflict in Sudan to a ceasefire, to build on the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan signed on May 11, 2023, and the humanitarian arrangements within the framework of international humanitarian law signed on May 20, 2023 to end the ongoing conflict in Sudan and return to political dialogue between all parties.
The two sides welcomed the progress achieved in the second Jeddah talks on November 7, 2023, which contributed to the resumption of dialogue between the two sides of the conflict to reach a commitment to take steps to facilitate an increase in humanitarian aid and implement confidence-building measures on the groundwork for reaching a permanent cessation of the conflict and alleviating the suffering of the Sudanese people.
Regarding the Syrian issue, the two sides stressed the importance of finding a just and comprehensive solution to the Syrian crisis that ends all its repercussions, contributes to the safe voluntary return of Syrian refugees to their country, and preserves the unity and territorial integrity of Syria. They expressed their aspiration that the Syrian government will take serious steps to address the roots of this crisis in a way that supports the stability of the Syrian Arab Republic and the unity and integrity of its territories.
The Qatari side welcomed the agreement of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran to resume diplomatic relations between them, expressing its hope that this step will contribute to enhancing security and stability in the region in a way that preserves the sovereignty of countries and non-interference in their internal affairs.
The two sides also called on the Islamic Republic of Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding the peacefulness of its nuclear program, and the significance of the contribution of any agreement to the establishment of comprehensive negotiations in which the countries of the region participate in them, in a way that supports achieving regional and international security and stability.
Regarding international affairs, the two sides renewed their keenness to continue coordination between them and intensify efforts aimed at maintaining international peace and security.
They also exchanged views on issues of interest to both countries on the regional and international arenas, affirmed their determination to enhance cooperation and joint coordination towards them, and continue their support for everything that would establish peace and stability in the region and the world.
Concerning the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, the two sides stressed the importance of settling disputes by peaceful means, and making possible efforts to reduce the escalation in a way that contributes to restoring security and stability and limits the negative repercussions of this crisis.
The Qatari side praised the humanitarian and political efforts undertaken by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, including the release of prisoners of different nationalities, and the ongoing efforts in this regard.
The Saudi side also praised the efforts made by the State of Qatar in mediating between the two sides of the crisis by reuniting children with their families in Ukraine.
At the conclusion of the meeting, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, expressed his thanks and appreciation to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, for the good reception and organization of the fruitful Council’s meeting.
Additionally, HRH the Crown Prince and Amir of Qatar stressed their keenness to strengthen and deepen their distinguished bilateral relations and moving them to broader horizons, as they expressed their sincere wishes for continued security and stability in the two countries.
They also thanked the heads and members of the Executive Committee, the subcommittees, the General Secretariat of the Council, and the work teams for their efforts to make the work of the 7th meeting of the Council a success.
-- SPA