Saudi Arabian crown prince arrives in Egypt on start of regional tour

Saudi Arabian crown prince arrives in Egypt on start of regional tour
June 21, 2022, 5:33 am

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends a session of the Shura Council in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 20, 2019. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

Saudi state news agency SPA said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud headed to Egypt on Monday night (June 20), starting his first tour outside the Gulf region in over three years. He will also visit Jordan and Turkey.

SPA said that Prince Mohammed, known as MbS, will hold talks with the leaders of Egypt, Jordan and Turkey on strengthening bilateral cooperation and matters of joint interest.

The prince's trip comes ahead of next month's visit to the region by U.S. President Joe Biden, who is expected to meet Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia after a visit to Israel, with the Ukraine conflict and regional security on the agenda.

(L)-Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R)-Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi

Sources have said MbS and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi would discuss issues including the impact of the Ukraine war and preparations for Biden's trip to the region in mid-July.

Biden says no plans to meet with Saudi crown prince during Kingdom visit

The prince is expected to head to Amman on Tuesday for talks with King Abdullah to improve ties strained by regional rivalries and unfulfilled Saudi pledges to shore up Jordan's struggling economy, diplomats and sources with knowledge of the plans said.

This would be the prince's first tour outside the Gulf since the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the COVID-19 pandemic. MbS visited Egypt in 2018 and Japan in 2019.

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