Egypt, UAE, Israel Discuss Repercussions of Ukrainian Crisis

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. (WAM)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. (WAM)
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Egypt, UAE, Israel Discuss Repercussions of Ukrainian Crisis

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. (WAM)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. (WAM)

In their first tripartite meeting, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Sharm El-Sheikh on Tuesday.

The talks addressed the repercussions of global developments, especially concerning energy, market stability, and food security.

Media and political sources said that the meeting also included a discussion of Iranian influence.

Sheikh Mohammed and Bennett arrived in Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday, and each held a bilateral meeting with Sisi, according to Emirati and Israeli media, followed by the tripartite meeting.

Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said the tripartite meeting tackled the repercussions of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, especially its impact on energy and food security.

The official Emirates News Agency (WAM) said the meeting discussed ways of "enhancing relations between the three countries, and the importance of cooperation and coordination to drive development and enhance stability in the region and bolstering global energy security and market stability."

The meeting came about a month after Russia invaded Ukraine, which caused a significant hike in oil prices amid security concerns in several countries.

Egypt is facing significant challenges in energy and food security after the war in Ukraine put pressure on emerging market economies, which prompted Cairo to devalue the currency by 14 percent. Moscow and Kyiv are Egypt's leading two wheat suppliers.

The war also led to a decline in Egypt's tourism revenues from Russia and Ukraine to the Red Sea resorts.

The tripartite meeting also expressed the political desire to address security issues, namely the escalation by the Iran-backed Houthi militias in the region and the related negative repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and post-crisis arrangements.

They addressed the outcomes of the Iranian nuclear agreement talks and their impact on various political and security matters.

International relations and regional security expert Iman Zahran told Asharq Al-Awsat several indicators favor establishing tripartite cooperation and economic coalitions, most notably concerning the Egyptian-Israeli partnership in energy and the commercial partnership between the three countries.

In Tel Aviv, the tripartite meeting was announced a day in advance, but the government did not comment.

Bennett's office issued an official statement about the visit, noting that Sisi accompanied him to the airport.

The statement read that the PM met with Sisi and Sheikh Mohammed, noting that "against the backdrop of the recent developments in the world and the region, the leaders discussed the ties between the three countries and ways to strengthen them on all levels."

The visit is Bennett's second to Egypt. His first was in September last year.

Political sources in Tel Aviv stressed the importance of Bennett spending his night in Egypt for the first time in many years.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, the tripartite meeting is part of Israeli orchestrated attempts to impose a blockade on Iran, which comprises all regional powers, including Turkey, backed by the US.



King Salman: Saudi Arabia Has Worked Tirelessly to Support Peace in the World

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
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King Salman: Saudi Arabia Has Worked Tirelessly to Support Peace in the World

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud stressed on Thursday that Saudi Arabia has made “persistent efforts to support global peace and maintain security and stability through its firm approach to containing crises,” as demonstrated by its positions amid the conflict in the region.

In an address to citizens and residents of the Kingdom and Muslims around the world on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr, he said: "We ask the Almighty to grant victory to our brave heroes and soldiers stationed on our borders. May He protect our precious homeland, the Islamic nation, and the entire world, and may He bless us with lasting security and prosperity.”

“We praise Allah and thank Him for helping us to fast and pray during Ramadan. We congratulate you on the blessed Eid Al-Fitr and ask the Almighty to accept all our good deeds,” he added.

“May He make it an Eid of goodness and peace, and return it to our country and the Islamic nation with goodness, security, and stability,” he continued.

“We thank Allah for the many blessings bestowed upon our land, the greatest of which is the honor of caring for the Two Holy Mosques and serving those who visit them.”

“We have dedicated all our resources to this sacred duty, and we pledge that our efforts will never cease as we continue to provide everything needed for the comfort and safety of pilgrims,” said King Salman. “This is the heart of our nation’s mission, as it has been since its very beginning.”

“By the grace of Allah, millions of Muslims were able to perform Umrah and pray in the Two Holy Mosques this Ramadan with ease and peace of mind. This was made possible by a dedicated system of care and the sincere, hard work of our own sons and daughters,” he remarked.

King Salman and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received congratulatory messages from the leaders of Islamic countries on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr. 


Qatar PM Says Gas Hub Attack 'Clear Proof' Iran Not Only Targeting US Interests

 This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017.(Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)
This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017.(Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)
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Qatar PM Says Gas Hub Attack 'Clear Proof' Iran Not Only Targeting US Interests

 This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017.(Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)
This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017.(Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)

Qatar's prime minister said on Thursday Iran's attack on the world's largest gas facility in Qatar was "clear proof" against Tehran's claims of having targeted only US interests in the Gulf.

There were "persistent Iranian claims that these attacks are against American interests... and this claim is rejected and cannot be accepted," Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said, AFP reported.

"The clear proof of this is the attack that took place yesterday that targeted a natural gas facility in the State of Qatar," he added.


Muslim World League Welcomes Joint Statement of Arab-Islamic Ministerial Meeting in Riyadh

Muslim World League Welcomes Joint Statement of Arab-Islamic Ministerial Meeting in Riyadh
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Muslim World League Welcomes Joint Statement of Arab-Islamic Ministerial Meeting in Riyadh

Muslim World League Welcomes Joint Statement of Arab-Islamic Ministerial Meeting in Riyadh

The Muslim World League (MWL) today welcomed the joint statement issued by the consultative ministerial meeting of foreign ministers from several Arab and Islamic countries, held in Riyadh, to discuss Iranian attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Jordan, Azerbaijan, and Türkiye, SPA reported.

In a statement issued by the MWL General Secretariat, Secretary-General and Chairman of the Council of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa expressed the league's full support for the statement's condemnation of the blatant Iranian attacks on residential areas, civilian infrastructure, and diplomatic missions, noting that these actions constitute a flagrant violation of religious values, international laws, and humanitarian norms.

He reiterated the need for the international community to firmly confront this escalation and compel Iran to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2817, ceasing its aggressive practices that target neighboring countries and destabilize regional and global security.