Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, held talks in Cairo on Monday with Sheikh al-Azhar Dr. Ahmed Tayeb.
The talks were held at the al-Azhar headquarters in Cairo, where the Crown Prince was received by a number of scholars.
Prince Mohammed and Sheikh Tayeb discussed cooperation between al-Azhar and Saudi Arabia in a number of issues of common interest.
The Crown Prince hailed the role of al-Azhar in spreading Islamic teachings and serving the Muslim nation.
The two officials stressed the importance of joint coordination in tackling challenges facing the Arab and Muslim worlds in order to preserve religious values, promote Islamic culture and highlight the principles of tolerance.
Sources from al-Azhar said: “The visit reflects the special ties between Egypt and Saudi Arabia and the constant coordination between them on all issues that concern the Islamic and Arab countries.”
“The ongoing coordination between Cairo and Riyadh supports efforts to counter terrorism and extremism,” they told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Al-Azhar announced that Prince Mohammed and Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi will inaugurate on Tuesday the renovation work at the al-Azhar mosque in Cairo.
Saudi Arabia had in 2014 issued a royal decree to renovate the mosque.
Al-Azhar said on Monday that the renovation was possible through a grant by late Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and sponsorship of King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
