Amman - Jordanian Prime Minister Nader Dahabi flew to Doha Saturday for a two-day state visit to Qatar designed to open a new chapter in relations between the two Arab countries which have not been on good terms over the past decade.

Jordan's efforts to improve ties with Qatar started last week when the chief of the Jordanian royal court Nasser Lawzi took a message from King Abdullah II to Qatar's ruler Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani.

The Amman government also appointed a new ambassador to Qatar after the post remained vacant for years.

Relations between Jordan and Qatar turned sour in 1999 after Doha received leaders of the radical Palestinian Hamas group, including the faction's politburo chief Khaled Mashaal, who were deported from Jordan after the closure of the movement's office in Amman.

Two years ago, pro-government Jordanian media launched a vehement attack on Qatar for its failure to support Amman's nominee for the post of the United Nations secretary general. (dpa)