Saudi crown prince boosting Egypt ties

CAIRO－Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud at Cairo International Airport on Monday night, said the Egyptian presidency in a statement.

During his two-day visit to Egypt, the crown prince will discuss with Sisi ways to enhance bilateral ties in various fields, as well as regional and international political issues of mutual interests.

The Saudi crown prince will also visit Jordan and Turkey, said the Saudi Royal Court.

Sources have said the prince and Sisi would discuss issues including the impact of the Ukraine conflict and the alignment of the Saudi and Egyptian positions.

Saudi Arabia has provided billions of dollars in financial support to Egypt since Sisi came into power, and its sovereign wealth is expected to announce investments as Cairo struggles with the economic knock-on effect of the Ukraine conflict.

On Tuesday, the prince is expected to head to Amman for talks with King Abdullah II to improve ties, said diplomats and sources with knowledge of the plans.

It is the crown prince's first tour outside the Gulf since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the COVID-19 pandemic. Prince Mohammed visited Egypt in 2018 and Japan in 2019.

Khashoggi's killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul had strained the kingdom's ties with Washington and Ankara.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has moved to mend ties with Riyadh, including by dropping a Turkish trial over Khashoggi's killing.

Erdogan, who visited the kingdom in April in the first high-level trip in years, said he would host Crown Prince Mohammed on Wednesday.

"A new era will begin and there will be full normalization. Within the scope of the visit, some agreements will be signed in the fields of energy, economy and security," a senior Turkish official said.

Mohammed's tour comes before US President Joe Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia scheduled next month.

Biden is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia at the tail end of his trip which includes stops in Israel and the West Bank, and is expected to meet Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia after a visit to Israel, with the Ukraine conflict and regional security on the agenda.

He will hold talks with the crown prince as part of an effort to reset ties. His administration could use help from the oil-rich kingdom to alleviate soaring prices at the pump for motorists at home and around the globe.

Xinhua - Agencies