He was accompanied by his son, Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan, and was attending the official ceremony in the presence of the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani as well as several heads of state from all over the world and senior officials, the official Emirates News Agency WAM reported.

“Today I witnessed the opening ceremony of the World Cup… Historical moments our region is experiencing, hosting the most important event in the world. Doha will be the capital of world sports for a month from today. May God protect it and bring [Qatar’s] people and leadership all the success,” Sheikh Mohammed said in a tweet late Sunday.

On behalf of the UAE’s leadership and its people, Sheikh Mohammed congratulated Qatar’s leadership and its people on the successful inauguration of the mega-tournament, adding that Qatar’s successful hosting of the World Cup was an achievement for the Arab world in general and a valuable addition to the GCC region’s sports landscape.

The UAE Prime Minister’s visit follows an invitation which was extended by the Emir of Qatar, reflecting strong ties between the two countries and their peoples.