Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani visited Damascus on Thursday and met newly declared transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa, in the first visit by a head of state to the Syrian capital since Bashar al-Assad was toppled on Dec.

Qatar has been actively seeking a sanctions exemption from Washington that would allow Doha to provide financial support through official channels.

Qatar's emir has travelled to Damascus on Thursday, Al Jazeera and the Syrian embassy said, becoming the first head of state to visit since the toppling of long-time president Bashar al-Assad. Unlike other Arab countries, Qatar did not restore diplomatic ties with Syria under Assad since the Syrian uprising in 2011.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani visits Damascus on Thursday, Qatar's Al Jazeera reported, as Syria's new interim government begins a political transition after the opposition factions ousted the Assad regime last year.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said discussions with a Qatari delegation in Damascus Thursday included reconstruction in the war-torn country, during the first visit by a head of state since Bashar al-Assad's ouster.

During the visit, the two leaders engaged in discussions aimed at enhancing bilateral relations and cooperation between their nations

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani visited Damascus on Thursday, the first visit by a head of state to the Syrian capital since the Dec. 8 fall of President Bashar al-Assad to an Islamist rebel offensive.