Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Cairo, Egypt on Monday, kicking off his first tour outside the Gulf region in over three years, according to reports.
As part of his visit, Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed 14 agreements valued at $7.7 billion, Reuters reports, citing Egypt’s General Authority for Investment and Free Zones.
Egypt has been hard hit by the dual challenges of the global pandemic and its impact on tourism, and the war in Ukraine’s impact on food pricing. Saudi aid to Egypt has increased in recent years to support the Kingdom’s ally in the region.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s tour of regional nations will also include a visit to Jordan and Turkey. The regional tour takes place in the weeks before a planned visit by President Biden to Saudi Arabia in July.
Crown Prince Mohammed’s visit to Turkey follows a recent thaw in relations between the two countries. In Turkey, he will meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who visited Saudi Arabia in April for the first time in five years as the two countries repair ties.
