By Reuters Staff

       1 Min Read

       FILE PHOTO: Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is pictured via screen as he attends the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) 41st Summit, at the media centre in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia January 5, 2021. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri/File Photo

       DUBAI (Reuters) - Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on Thursday named ambassadors to Egypt and Libya, his office said, as the Gulf Arab state moves to improve ties with some regional states.

       Salem bin Mubarak Al-Shafi was named envoy to Egypt, while Khalid Mohammed Al-Dosari was appointed for Libya.

       Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain agreed in January to end a dispute that saw them boycott Qatar since 2017 over charges it supports terrorism, a reference to Islamist groups, which Doha denies.

       Cairo had in June appointed an ambassador to Qatar, following a similar move by Riyadh. The UAE and Bahrain have yet to restore diplomatic ties.

       Qatar had closed its embassy in Libya in 2014, when many foreign missions in Tripoli shut down as the country split between warring administrations.

       Since fighting in Libya ended last summer, the factions have accepted a new unity government mandated to unify institutions and prepare for elections in December.

       Reporting by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Alex Richardson

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