By Nawal Sayed
CAIRO, Nov. 27 (SEE)- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's current visit to Egypt is considered as the sixth visit since 2015. This is a clear indication of the privacy and distinction of Egyptian-Saudi relations amidst growth in all fields of political, economic and cultural cooperation.
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Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al Sisi receives Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Nov. 26, 2018 - Press photo[/caption]
The previous visits are as follow:
1- April, 2015:
Prince Mohammad was then the minister of defense, royal court chief of staff, and special advisor to King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
During the visit, he held talks with former Egyptian Defense Minister Sedky Sobhy.
2- July, 2015:
This was first visit by Prince Mohammad as the Deputy Crown Prince, second Vice-Prime Minister, and Minister of Defense.
During this visit, there was an agreement on what was called the "Cairo Declaration" to develop cooperation between the two countries in several fields.
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Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al Sisi receives Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in March, 2018- Press photo [/caption]
3- December, 2015:
MBS followed up the work of the second coordination council of the "Cairo Declaration" during this visit.
4- April, 2016:
The Deputy crown prince signed 21 agreements and memorandums of understanding. Most important of those was the establishment of a free trade zone in Sinai.
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Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al Sisi receives Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Nov. 26, 2018- Press photo[/caption]
5- March, 2018:
MBS's first visit to Cairo after he assumed the post of crown prince in June, 2017.
The visit witnessed special and distinct protocol proceedings, as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi accompanied him in domestic tours over the period of three days.
Both leaders inaugurated the restoration of Azhar building, visited the Opera House, and explored giant projects and the tunnels of the Suez Canal.
Sisi and MBS also signed agreements and memorandums of understanding during the visit.
The crown prince held talks with the Sheikh of Azhar and the Pope at the Cathedral in Abbassiya.
Saudi Investments in Egypt
The Kingdom is deemed the largest Arab investor in the Egyptian market and the second largest foreign investor in general with 11 percent of total foreign investment in Egypt, according to latest statistics.
Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry Amr Nasser said that MBS's visit will expand the economic relations between the two countries.
"There is no doubt that the visit will contribute to the realization of the two governments' vision to increase the volume of trade," Nasser said in a statement on Monday.
MP Praises Warm Reception of MBS by Sisi
"Warm reception of the Saudi crown prince in Cairo reflects the Egyptian leadership's support to the kingdom against the ongoing media war that Riyadh has been facing recently," said Egyptian parliamentarian.
Soliman Wahdan, House of Representative's undersecretary, manifested that Cairo appreciates the Saudi support to Egypt in difficult times; especially since the Jan. 2011 revolution.
"MBS's visit to Cairo is an important step to boost the strategic relations between the two countries," Wahdan said in a press statement Tuesday.
Saudi crown prince arrived in Cairo Monday evening for a two-day visit. He is expected to hold bilateral talks with President Sisi and discuss recent developments in the region.
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