Saudi Crown Prince concludes Egypt visit

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CAIRO (AP) – Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman departed for Jordan after wrapping up a visit to Egypt on Tuesday following talks with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.

The two leaders discussed a wide range of topics, including ties between the two regional heavyweights and United States (US) President Joe Biden’s Middle East visit next month, according to el-Sissi’s office.

The two countries signed 14 investment deals worth USD7.7 billion in fields including infrastructure, renewable energy and the pharmaceutical industry, according to Saudi Commerce Munster Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi.

All the deals save one are private sector agreements. They include a USD1.5 billion deal between Saudi Arabia’s Acwapower and Egypt’s state-run electricity company to build a wind power plant, according to Egypt’s Cabinet.

A joint statement also said Saudi Arabia would lead efforts to inject USD30 billion of investments in Egypt.

Prince Mohammed arrived in Cairo on Monday evening on the first leg of his regional tour, which includes stops in Jordan and Turkey.

The Crown Prince received a warm welcome in Cairo – El-Sissi was at the airport for both his arrival and departure. Prince Mohammed departed Cairo on Tuesday for Amman for talks with King Abdullah II of Jordan, who will also attend a Saudi Arabia-hosted summit with the American president. The summit will include Gulf Cooperation Council leaders, Iraq and Egypt.

Biden is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia at the tail end of his July 13 to 16 Middle East trip.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in Cairo, Egypt. PHOTO: AP