Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani arrived in Manama on Friday ahead of a World Court ruling on a land dispute between the two Gulf Arab neighbors, reported AFP.
He was welcomed by his Bahraini counterpart, Sheikh Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa.
"During the visit, the emir of Qatar will extend congratulations to Emir Sheikh Hamad on the occasion of the resounding referendum on the national action charter," the Bahrain Tribune newspaper said.
It added that both leaders will discuss “bilateral relations, the latest Gulf and Arab developments and issues of common concern.”
Sheikh Hamad's visit to Manama comes ahead of a ruling by the International Court of Justice in The Hague on a long-standing territorial row between Bahrain and Qatar, said AFP.
At the end of last June, the World Court wound up a five-week public hearing into the dispute, which almost led to war in 1986.
The case focuses on Doha's claims to the Bahraini-held Hawar Islands and Fasht al-Dibel rocks, potentially rich in oil and gas deposits, as well as Manama's claim to the Zubara strip on Qatar's west coast.
Bahrain has warned it will not cede an inch of its land – Albawaba.com
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