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Gulf

Egyptians Hail Sisi’s Visit to Saudi Arabia

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, bids farewell to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the airport after his visit. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, bids farewell to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the airport after his visit. (SPA)
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Egyptians Hail Sisi’s Visit to Saudi Arabia

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, bids farewell to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the airport after his visit. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, bids farewell to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the airport after his visit. (SPA)

Egyptians praised President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday where he held talks with Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

Observers hailed the outcomes of their talks that underlined the importance of bolstering joint investments and coordination over several regional issues, especially the situation in Gaza.

Sisi underscored Cairo’s support of Saudi initiatives aimed at resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the latest of which were the outcomes of the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution that was held in New York in July. The meeting was co-chaired by Riyadh and Paris.

Egyptian Presidency Spokesman Mohamed al-Shennawy said the visit is part of the “solid historic relations that bind Cairo and Riyadh.” The two sides constantly coordinate and hold consultations over regional and international issues of common interest.

The inaugural meeting of the Saudi-Egyptian Supreme Coordination Council was also held on Thursday.

Saudi and Egyptian officials agreed to launch more partnerships in industrial integration, renewable energy and other fields.

On social media, users lauded Sisi’s visit to the Kingdom with a related hashtag trending on X.

Users on the platform said Saudi Arabia and Egypt have long enjoyed ties of fraternity and they will continue.

They welcomed Sisi’s visit, saying it demonstrates the integration between Cairo and Riyadh.

Political Science Professor at the University of Cairo Hassan Salama said the visit underscores the strength of Egyptian-Saudi relations and the extent of coordination between them.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he noted the significant timing of the visit.

Cairo earlier this week proposed a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza that would pave the way for a permanent solution to the crisis there. Hamas agreed to the proposal.

Former Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs at Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gamal al-Bayoumi said Saudi Arabia is the Arab world’s largest investor in Egypt.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that Sisi’s visit stressed the importance of expanding economic ties with the Kingdom.

Moreover, regional developments demand constant coordination and consultations between Cairo and Riyadh, he remarked.

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Gulf

Saudi Foreign Minister, Egyptian Counterpart Discuss Regional Developments

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
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Saudi Foreign Minister, Egyptian Counterpart Discuss Regional Developments

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received a phone call on Saturday from Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Dr. Badr Abdelatty.

They discussed the latest regional developments and agreed to maintain bilateral coordination and consultation on these issues.

Gulf

Albudaiwi: GCC States Consistently Seek to Enhance Global Security and Stability

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
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Albudaiwi: GCC States Consistently Seek to Enhance Global Security and Stability

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi said that the GCC member states consistently seek to enhance security, stability, development, and prosperity to serve the mutual interests of the region's peoples and the entire world.

This comes in light of the rapid geopolitical shifts as well as growing security and economic challenges facing the globe, according to SPA.

During his participation in a panel session on GCC-European strategic links, held today in the Czech capital, Prague, on the sidelines of the GLOBSEC Global Security Forum 2026, the GCC secretary-general said: "The GCC General Secretariat’s participation in the GLOBSEC Global Security Forum 2026 embodies its keenness to maintain an active presence in regional and international forums. This engagement aims to bolster communication and exchange perspectives with international partners, decision-makers, and experts, thereby supporting efforts to maintain regional and international security while keeping pace with rapid global changes."

He also pointed out that the region has recently witnessed several events that have heavily impacted security and stability, adding that the GCC states have sustained their continuous diplomatic efforts to de-escalate and defuse tensions in the region, promoting paths of dialogue and diplomacy to protect regional security, stability, and the safety of its peoples.

The GCC secretary-general underscored the paramount importance of protecting the security of air and maritime corridors, ensuring freedom of navigation, the safety of supply chains, and the stability of global energy market.

"The stability of the Gulf region remains a fundamental pillar for the stability of the global economy and international maritime security," he reiterated.

Albudaiwi explained that recent developments have proven that the security of Europe and the Middle East has become unprecedentedly interconnected, asserting that any disruption in the Gulf region and its surrounding maritime passages directly affects the European economy, global energy security, supply chains, and international stability as a whole. He stressed that Gulf stability is no longer merely a regional matter, but has become a shared international interest.

Discussing the future of Gulf-European relations, Albudaiwi mentioned that both sides aspire to elevate their ties to broader horizons.

He added that the upcoming GCC-EU Summit will contribute to cementing cooperation across numerous fields and achieving the mutual interests of both parties, emphasizing the significance of reaching tangible results that serve both sides and elevate their ongoing cooperation.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Says Will Not Allow Practices That Deviate Hajj from its Objectives

Security commanders are seen at the press conference in Makkah on Friday (Bashir Saleh)
Security commanders are seen at the press conference in Makkah on Friday (Bashir Saleh)
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Saudi Arabia Says Will Not Allow Practices That Deviate Hajj from its Objectives

Security commanders are seen at the press conference in Makkah on Friday (Bashir Saleh)
Security commanders are seen at the press conference in Makkah on Friday (Bashir Saleh)

Saudi Arabia said it would not allow the Hajj to be used for any activity that strays from its religious purpose, as more than 1.5 million pilgrims arrived from abroad by Friday afternoon.

He made his statement during a press conference by Hajj security commanders at the Unified Security Operations Center (911) in the Makkah region.

Officials outlined security, traffic, and organizational plans for this year’s holy pilgrimage, along with related instructions and guidelines.

Lt. Gen. Mohammed Al-Bassami, director of Public Security, said the Hajj security system was fully ready to carry out its duties.

“Our goal is for pilgrims to reach their destination, perform their rituals, and return home safely,” he stressed.

Al-Bassami said crowd management plans focused on regulating pilgrim flows and minimizing overlap between routes. Technology, he said, was playing a key role alongside security personnel on the ground.

He said authorities were prepared for various scenarios based on risk assessments, following extensive drills and field exercises to test the readiness of all security agencies.

Lt. Gen. Mohammed Al-Omari, commander of the Special Emergency Forces at the Presidency of State Security, described the security plans as “integrated, proactive and flexible.” He said security forces were deployed in the central area and the holy sites to protect pilgrims.

Maj. Gen. Dr. Hammoud Al-Faraj, director general of Civil Defense, said preparations for the Hajj season were complete.

“We trained all bodies involved in serving pilgrims on self-protection,” he said, adding that male and female volunteers were working alongside Civil Defense personnel across all tasks and operations.

Maj. Gen. Dr. Saleh Al-Murabba, commander of the Passports Forces for Hajj, said the “Makkah Route” initiative accounted for 30% of arriving pilgrims. He said 1,518,153 pilgrims had arrived from outside Saudi Arabia by Friday afternoon.