The President, Sheikh Khalifa, welcomed the emir of Qatar and his delegation on Thursday, and they discussed prospects for co-operation and development of relations between the countries.
They also discussed ways to strengthen the march of the GCC and the latest developments and situation in the region.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani expressed his admiration for the cultural development achieved in the UAE under the leadership of Sheikh Khalifa, who has been named the 34th most powerful person in the world in the latest Forbes magazine.
Sheikh Tamim stressed the need to achieve greater cooperation and co-ordination among Arabian Gulf countries to face the challenges ahead.
The emir thanked Sheikh Khalifa for awarding him the Zayed Medal and for the warm hospitality accorded him and the delegation.
Sheikh Khalifa made his second consecutive appearance in the Forbes power rankings, the latest list of which were published on Thursday.
Forbes magazine editors compile the list of 72 names based on degree of power and how far-reaching it is, financial resources and how actively they use their power.
The most powerful person of the year is Russian president Vladimir Putin, followed by US president Barack Obama in a reversal from the top of last year’s table.
“Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin scores the highest points in 2013 because he so frequently shows his strength at home and on the global stage,” a Forbes editorial accompanying the rankings said.
“Consider NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and the recent chess match over Syria.”
Sheikh Khalifa was last year named the 33rd most powerful man in the world.
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah was seventh on last year’s list and eighth this year.
Forbes compiles several rankings every year, including richest Americans, richest billionaires and leading companies.
In May, Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Development and International Cooperation, was rated the 64th most powerful woman in the world, up from 92nd last year.
Sheikha Lubna was Minister for Foreign Trade before the Cabinet shuffle in March this year.
newsdesk@thenational.ae