The Egyptian government in Qatar announced on Friday night that the Egyptian government had expelled Hamad Saeed Al Shamsi, the UAE ambassador to Cairo.

An Egyptian diplomat revealed today, Friday, that the Egyptian authorities have deported the UAE ambassador to Cairo, Hamad Saeed Al Shamsi.

The Egyptian ambassador to Qatar Amr El-Sherbini, said on his official Facebook page, Friday, that the decision to deport the Emirati ambassador came “after investigations with Hassan Rateb and his partner, Alaa Hassanein, a former member of parliament, revealed his involvement in smuggling Egyptian antiquities with Emirati diplomatic bags.”

He commented, “A correct decision confirms the vigilance of the Egyptian security and oversight services, and the good behavior of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by dealing with the matter professionally, and without arousing concern for relations with the UAE.”

He added, “This procedure must be complemented by a similar Emirati procedure that includes quickly punishing the ambassador who committed crimes against his country and the country that hosted him, with the return of antiquities that had previously been smuggled, and with an answer to inquiries about the behavior of the Emirates that intersect and contradict our interests in vital files.” 

The antiquities include a variety of statues, some of which were inside tombs as part of burial offerings.