In what is being hailed as a landmark visit, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman arrived in Egypt to re-affirm Saudi-Egyptian ties and engage a critical regional ally on key foreign policy concerns.
King Salman, who was also accompanied by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and dozens of Saudi officials and leaders, including 14 ministers, was received in Cairo by President Sisi to significant fanfare.
“The pomp of a Saudi-Egyptian summit comes as the two leading powers in the Arab world are each battling many domestic and national security challenges and as both sides say the so-called ‘special relationship’ between Cairo and Riyadh is healthy,” writes Patrick Ryan in Al Arabiya.
At Heliopolis Palace, 21 cannon shots were fired to welcome the Saudi monarch and photos of him along with the Saudi flag adorned the main streets of Cairo.
During the visit, the Kingdom is expected to sign a $20 billion agreement to finance Egypt’s petroleum needs for the next five years and a $1.5 billion deal to develop the Sinai region, according to Arab News.
King Salman wrote on his official Twitter page immediately after his arrival in Cairo that “Egypt has a special place in my heart, and the kingdom values it and our strategic relationship with it which is important to the Arab and Muslim worlds. God protect Egypt and its people.”
The University of Cairo decided to confer an honorary doctorate on Saudi King Salman in recognition of his unique role and outstanding contributions in “serving Arabism, Islam and Muslims, as well as his support for Egypt and its people.”
The visit is likely to have focused conversations between Saudi and Egyptian leaders and officials behind the scenes, write Brian Rohan and Aya Batrawy for the AP. “Despite Riyadh’s major support for Egypt under el-Sissi, Cairo has done little in return.”
The AP quotes Shadi Hamid, senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, as saying that Saudi Arabia has “clearly grown impatient with Cairo, which has made only weak contributions to the Saudi-led offensive against Shiite rebels in Yemen and has refused to demand Syrian President Bashar Assad step down. Egypt is simultaneously cultivating closer ties with Russia, a major backer of Assad.”
The King’s visit is set to last five days.
