After being shut down in 2013 by an Egyptian judicial decision following a raid that resulted in the imprisonment of numerous journalists, Al Jazeera broadcasted live from Cairo for the first time in eight years, according to Doha News.
Shireen Abu Aqla, a prominent Palestinian journalist, broadcasted live from Egypt on Saturday, marking the latest step in improving Qatari-Egyptian relations since the two countries reconciled in January.
The return of Qatar’s main broadcaster came as a surprise to the public, as no prior information about the resumption of operations in Egypt had been made public.
This follows the signing of the Al-Ula Declaration on January 5th, which resolved a three-year disagreement between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.
The governments issued a joint list of 13 demands to Qatar shortly after the quartet initiated an air, land, and sea blockade, which included the closure of Al Jazeera.
The development comes just days after Qatar named Salem bin Mubarak Al-Shafi as its new Ambassador to Egypt.
In September 2013, the Egyptian headquarters of Al Jazeera was shut down due to political upheaval that erupted after President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi took office following a military coup ousting Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first democratically elected leader.
