Saudi crown prince kicks off regional tour in Egypt

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman began a two-day visit to Egypt on Monday evening, the presidency in Cairo said, kicking off a regional tour extending to Jordan and Turkey.

The crown prince will meet with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a major ally, to discuss “regional and wider international political affairs”, said Bassem Radi, a spokesman for Sisi.

A Saudi official told AFP on Saturday that “several agreements” will be penned during the crown prince’s regional tour, notably in the energy sector.

Prince Mohammed will head to Turkey on Wednesday.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in late April visited Saudi Arabia, where he publicly embraced the crown prince. 

The crown prince’s regional tour comes weeks ahead of a visit to Saudi Arabia by US President Joe Biden, whose administration has lately sought to repair ties with Riyadh.