United States President Joe Biden said on Monday he plans to designate Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, granting special status to a key ally in the Middle East.

Biden made the announcement as he met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in the Oval Office.

The emir told reporters that he would discuss regional security with Biden as well as push for equal rights for the Palestinian people.

Tamim's visit aimed at building relations with Washington that have strengthened since Doha hosted talks that led to the 2020 deal for the U.S. troop pullout from Afghanistan.

The small Gulf emirate played a pivotal role in evacuation operations during the chaotic final U.S. withdrawal in August and has become the U.S. diplomatic representative in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

Tamim and Biden are expected to discuss efforts by global powers to salvage the 2015 nuclear pact with Iran, with which Doha has ties, and efforts to end Yemen's civil war, two knowledgable sources said.