Alwaght- The Emir of Qatar on Wednesday started a tour of six West African nations starting Wednesday in what is viewed a bid to counter Saudi influence and search for new markets.
The trip comes six months after Saudi Arabia and three other Arab regimes cut ties with the wealthy Persian Gulf state.
The tour includes visits to Guinea-Conakry, Mali, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Senegal.
During the visit, the Emir of Qatar will hold talks with the leaders and senior officials of these countries on ways to enhance and develop bilateral relations, in addition to discussing a number of issues of common concern.
Agreements and memorandums of understanding will be signed during the visit in a number of fields.
Doha plans to open up new markets and diversify its economy amid an ongoing blockade by its neighbors. The six countries on the emir’s itinerary have “strong economic potential and opportunities despite some security challenges in some of them,” Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lulwa al-Khater said.
In October, Qatar's foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani revealed that Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates compelled vulnerable African countries to cut ties with Doha.
Chad, Mauritania and Comoros all severed ties with Qatar in the wake of the worst diplomatic crisis in the Persian Gulf for years, while Niger and Djibouti recalled their ambassadors.
Media reports indicated failed to persuade the African countries to take a stance against Qatar during an African Union Summit in Addis Ababa July 4.
Diplomatic sources say African leaders who attended the summit in Ethiopia agreed that the continent should not meddle in the crisis between Qatar and the four Saudi-led regimes.
