This marks Prime Minister Meloni’s second official visit to Qatar since taking office in 2022.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni landed Qatar on Saturday as part of a Gulf tour involving Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with energy and defence high on the agenda.
Meloni and her accompanying delegation were received on arrival at Doha International Airport by Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi, Qatar’s Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Paolo Toschi, Italy’s ambassador to Qatar.
The visit marks the first by the leader of a G7 and G20 nation to the Gulf since the beginning of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran.
Italy’s embassy in Qatar confirmed the visit in a statement, saying Meloni’s trip “expresses solidarity and friendship” with the country. She had earlier travelled to Saudi Arabia on Friday, where she met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“Italian and Qatari Armed Forces work every day hand in hand to ensure full success of defense operations. Italy will continue to be at Qatar’s side in defining an updated and effective security framework for the friendly nation,” the embassy said.
The visit is also aimed at discussing the impact of energy security by the war and exploring ways to continue protecting Italy and Qatar’s energy ties in the future.
“The occasion builds on the strong friendship and deep bonds uniting the two nations of Italy and Qatar, in all fields including: political-diplomatic; military-defense; energy, trade, direct investments, science and education, culture, sports,” the embassy said.
This marks Prime Minister Meloni’s second official visit to Qatar since taking office in 2022, following her first trip in October 2023.
The last meeting that took place between Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Meloni was on February 6 in Milan on the occasion of the Winter Olympics. At the time, Qatar’s Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) and Italian law enforcement collaborated in securing the event.
Italy ranks as the world’s sixth largest arms supplier, with Qatar standing as its largest recipient, followed by Kuwait and Indonesia, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI) latest figures.
Qatar ranks as the fourth-largest arms recipient globally and the second-largest among Arab countries, with the U.S. standing as its main supplier, according to SIPRI.