Qatar to Build Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Hospital in Egypt: Sohag Grant Agreement Signed
Qatar is funding the construction of a hospital in Egypt’s Sohag Governorate. The grant agreement was signed on August 20, 2026 between the Qatar Fund for Development and Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population, during the seventh session of the Joint Higher Committee between Qatar and Egypt, held in El Alamein.
The hospital will be named the H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Hospital and is expected to represent what Qatar’s Prime Minister described as “a qualitative shift in the health sector” for the people of Sohag.
What Was Signed at the Qatar-Egypt Joint Committee Session
Four agreements in total were concluded during the El Alamein session, covering healthcare, customs cooperation, regulatory oversight and development partnership.
The grant agreement between the Qatar Fund for Development and Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population covers the establishment of the H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Hospital in Sohag Governorate. Sohag is one of Upper Egypt’s most populous governorates, and the hospital is expected to significantly expand healthcare access in the region.
A draft agreement on mutual administrative assistance for the optimal application of customs law and the suppression and investigation of customs violations was also signed.
A memorandum of understanding for cooperation in oversight work between the State Audit Bureau of the State of Qatar and the Central Auditing Organization of Egypt was concluded.
A memorandum of understanding for cooperation between the Qatar Fund for Development and the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development was also signed, alongside the official minutes of the seventh session of the Joint Higher Committee.
Who Led the Session
The Qatari side was chaired by His Excellency Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. The Egyptian side was led by His Excellency Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates Dr. Badr Abdelatty.
Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the session, Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said:
“We witnessed the signing of four agreements in the fields of customs cooperation and regulatory oversight, in addition to educational and health cooperation, as well as the establishment of the His Highness the Emir Hospital in Sohag Governorate, which we look forward to constituting a qualitative shift in the health sector for our brothers in the governorate.”
Qatar-Egypt Relations: What Else Was Discussed
Beyond the agreements, the two sides reviewed the full range of Qatar-Egypt bilateral cooperation across economy, investment, diplomacy, health, agriculture and food security. Both sides acknowledged what they described as a qualitative leap in Qatari-Egyptian relations, driven by growing high-level engagement between the two countries.
The session also addressed several pressing regional issues. Both sides affirmed their rejection of any scenarios aimed at displacing Palestinians from their land or altering the demographic or geographic composition of the occupied Palestinian territories. They stressed the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ensuring freedom of maritime navigation and international trade. Both sides also underlined the importance of continued Doha-Cairo coordination toward reaching a final and sustainable agreement ending the war and military escalation in the region.
The session further addressed the Sudanese crisis, with both sides emphasising the importance of preserving Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity, rejecting parallel entities, and supporting Sudanese state institutions as the foundation for restoring stability.
Qatar Fund for Development: What It Does
The Qatar Fund for Development is Qatar’s official bilateral development institution, responsible for channelling Qatar’s foreign aid and development assistance to partner countries across Africa, Asia, and beyond. The Fund has previously funded hospitals, schools, infrastructure and humanitarian projects across dozens of countries. The Sohag hospital grant is consistent with the Fund’s mandate to support health infrastructure in underserved communities in the Arab world and globally.
