A bridge made of love not of stone!

As soon as Saudi Arabia and Egypt announced that a bridge linking the two countries will be built, everyone recalled the history of the relations between the two societies.

Egypt, whose people learn music, cinema, journalism, philosophy and education, cannot but be in the heart of all Arabs and not just the Saudis.

The bridge will be a commercial, social and cultural passage between two continents for the first time in our history. This link between the two continents and the two countries has economic, political, social and strategic dimensions. The bridge of King Salman is a combination of the bridges of harmony and historical synergy.

Such economic deals strengthen ties, enhance relations, produce goods and exports and pave the way for large-scale projects and investments.

Since its establishment, Saudi Arabia has believed that mere statements and eloquent speeches do not yield results and that working on the economic level and serving the people’s interests are more important. They enrich strategies, improve plans and ideas and solidify alliances.

Building bridges

This is what Saudi Arabia is doing. It is building bridges and does not believe in destroying them. It brings into its fold societies and is keen to develop their economies and improve living conditions.

The message the recent agreements between Egypt and Saudi Arabia have major significance for other countries who have spoiled relations due to old slogans, which have no value worth mentioning.

In 1986, when the bridge between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia was built, Saudi poet Ghazi al-Gosaibi said: “It’s a path made of love not of stone.”

This article was first published by Okaz on Apr. 10, 2016.
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Turki Al-Dakhil is the General Manager of Al Arabiya News Channel. He began his career as a print journalist, covering politics and culture for the Saudi newspapers Okaz, Al-Riyadh and Al-Watan. He then moved to pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat and pan-Arab news magazine Al-Majalla. Turki later became a radio correspondent for the French-owned pan-Arab Radio Monte Carlo and MBC FM. He proceeded to Elaph, an online news magazine and Alarabiya.net, the news channel’s online platform. Over a ten-year period, Dakhil’s weekly Al Arabiya talk show “Edaat” (Spotlights) provided an opportunity for proponents of Arab and Islamic social reform to make their case to a mass audience. Turki also owns Al Mesbar Studies and Research Centre and Madarek Publishing House in Dubai. He has received several awards and honors, including the America Abroad Media annual award for his role in supporting civil society, human rights and advancing women’s roles in Gulf societies. He tweets @TurkiAldakhil.