Egypt, Saudi to meet for talks on Syria, Yemen

A high-level Egyptian delegation will be visiting the Saudi capital in the next few days to discuss regional affairs, Egyptian sources said Wednesday.

The delegation is said to include high-post figures from the Egyptian government and will be tackling regional issues such as the wars in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya, the sources added.

The officials will also discuss a draft UN resolution on Syria to be presented to the Security Council within days.

The news comes as Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Egypt Ahmed al-Qattan departs Cairo on Wednesday to Riyadh to prepare for the visit.

The announcement of the visit also comes as tensions grow between the two countries after Egypt voted in favor of Russian-drafted UN Security Council resolution on Syria that was opposed by Riyadh.

Egypt was then forced to rush out calls for petroleum product tenders to make up for a shortfall that arose when Saudi oil giant Aramco announced it intended to halt the delivery of 700,000 tons of petroleum products this month.

Analysts say the row is the outcome of longstanding disagreements on issues in the region. Sisi has relied on Saudi backing since he rose to power following the overthrow of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammad Mursi.

But relations have long been strained on issues such as Syria and Yemen. There’s also disagreements surrounding relations with Iran. Cairo – it has been reported – does not see Iran as a threat in the same way as Saudi.