Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrivbed in Riyadh on the latest regional and international developments. He met Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz later. The two leaders discussed the current affairs of the region and emphasized the depth of strategic relations between the Kingdom and Egypt.
During his one-day-visit, Sisi was greeted by Saudi Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz and a delegation of high-ranking officials.
In an exclusive interview with the Al Arabiya News Channel, Sisi reiterated the strength of the relationship between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
“The relationship between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and Egypt and its brothers in the Gulf, has been strong and stable for years,” Sisi said, adding that the two countries need to coordinate considering the “difficult condition” the Arab region is in.
He praised Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries for supporting Egypt, linking the stability of the most populated Arab country to the rest of the region, and said Egyptians opposed the return to the banned Muslim Brotherhood.
“The relationship between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and Egypt and its brothers in the Gulf, has been strong and stable for years,” Sisi, in an exclusive interview to Al Arabiya News Channel, said, noting the need for coordination between Cairo and Riyadh given the “difficult condition” the Arab region was in.
Sisi, who will visit Saudi Arabia on Sunday on an official visit, described ties between Cairo and Riyadh as having “a long history of stability, solidarity and understanding,” and commended Saudi Arabia’s supportive position during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, the oil embargo of the same year, and its support for the will of the Egyptian people on the uprising that ousted Islamist President Mohammad Mursi in 2013.
“Go back to history. When Egypt was facing the aggression of 1956, [Saudi] King Salman was among the fighters,” he said.
“The Gulf States: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait played a huge role in supporting the Egyptian people’s will until today. And this will not be forgotten.”
Sisi said his visit to Saudi Arabia was in order to congratulate Saudi King Salman, especially at a time when the region is going through “difficult conditions.”
When asked about the recent Saudi-brokered reconciliation between Egypt and Qatar, Sisi said: “We are keen on appreciating late [Saudi] King [Abdullah] by respecting his initiative. I want this to be sure to everybody.”