Sisi: Egypt and Saudi are leaders of Arab security

Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed a pact in Cairo Thursday aimed at boosting military and economic ties between the two Arab allies.

On Thursday, a Saudi delegation led by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Cairo and signed the "Cairo Declaration," also attending a military parade with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

"The two sides stressed the need to exert all efforts to boost security and stability in the region, and to work together to protect Arab national security," Sisi's office said after the signing.

The "Cairo Declaration" backs building a new joint Arab military force to fight terrorism in the region, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The leaders have also expressed their keenness to further develop relations between the two countries, dubbed key to regional security.

Speaking at the ceremony, Sisi said Egypt and Saudi Arabia are vital for the security in the Arab region.

The two allies, who are partners in the kingdom-led coalition striking Houthi militias in Yemen, are the “wings of Arab security,” Sisi told graduates of the military academy.

Sisi added that the deputy crown prince’s presence at the ceremony sent a “strong message” of cooperation to their people. “You will not see us but together,” state-owned paper al-Ahram reported him as saying.

The “highly difficult regional circumstances,” would require “security vigilance and extra effort.”

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Egypt’s Foreign Minister Samih Shoukry described “solidarity” between Cairo and Riyadh as important to protecting regional security in a joint press conference with Saudi’s top diplomat Adel al-Jubeir.

Jubeir said Riyadh is keen to further develop its relations and cooperation with Cairo. He also said communication is continuing with Egypt to build a new joint Arab military force .

In March, Arab foreign ministers met Egypt and agreed to establish a unified military force for rapid intervention to deal with security threats to Arab nations, including Islamist militants who have seized large swathes of land in Syria and Iraq.

While the ministers agreed in principle, no major development materialized.