King’s Cairo visit a pivotal moment

There can be no doubting the significance of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman’s visit to Cairo. It is likely to prove a pivotal moment in Arab affairs.
The king and the large team of advisers and businessmen in his delegation face a busy schedule of talks. These are likely to embrace every one of the considerable challenges the Arab world is currently facing.
The trip is significant on several levels. At its most fundamental it is a clear demonstration that the two most important Arab countries are not at all divided, as some commentators have hinted. The ties between the Kingdom and Egypt are deep. Egyptians play a valuable role within the Saudi economy and make up the largest proportion of Arabs who work here. Meanwhile, Saudi investors continue to play a key role in Egypt.
One of the many issues that will be discussed is the easing of what many entrepreneurs see as restrictive regulations in Egypt.
The Kingdom has shown the way in streamlining investment procedures and dealing with economic crime. Egypt will benefit by learning from Saudi experience.
It is telling to note that ahead of the king’s arrival, the Egyptian stock market surged. By contrast, elsewhere in the Arab world, markets were subdued. The optimism in Cairo is not hard to understand. It is expected that deals totaling $22 billion will be signed.
A number of framework agreements for soft loans have been worked out ahead of the king’s arrival. The greater part of the Saudi financial support is focused on Egypt’s energy needs over the next five years. But there is also $1.5 billion for a dozen development projects in the Sinai. These are particularly important to create jobs in this region. Lack of opportunity is one of the main reasons for young men getting lured by terrorists. The security situation must be reversed by targeted investment as well as a robust response by Egyptian security forces. In addition, the Kingdom is helping fund the renovation of Cairo’s historic Kasr El-Aini Hospital. There is also to be the financing of the expansion of West Cairo’s power station. Its capacity will be increased by 650 megawatts.
Over and above all this, it is likely that Saudi businessmen will invest up to $4 billion in commercial projects. These include agriculture and work to expand and improve the Suez Canal.
The economic impact of these projects is clear. But the king’s visit is about a lot more than giving invaluable aid to the Egyptian economy. The strategic challenges facing the Arab world produce as much anxiety in Cairo as they do in any other Arab state. Iranian hegemony is a matter of particular concern. Once it was the Egyptians under Nasser who intervened in Aden to help end the British colonial presence. Today it is the Saudis who are leading the coalition of Gulf states to check another imperialism in that country. Iran has been meddling in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon as well as in the Kingdom and its Gulf neighbors. Tehran is sponsoring terrorism. Freed from international sanctions, it has redoubled its efforts to sow the seeds of mayhem and discord.
It is crucial that Egypt continues to play its leading role in the Arab world and help to check Iranian interference in the affairs of fellow Arab states.
Cairo is also the historic seat of Islamic scholarship. The Kingdom complements this by hosting in Riyadh the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Under Saudi leadership, the OIC has focused on building or repairing bridges in the Muslim world. One bridge that is currently in a bad state is linking Egypt and Turkey. The OIC is holding its 13th summit this month. This will be in Istanbul. In line with its own policy of reaching out to all parties, Saudi Arabia is anxious to end any differences between Cairo and Ankara.
At a time when so many dangers encompass it, the Muslim world cannot afford division. No one could be better qualified than King Salman to act as a peacemaker between these two major Muslim states. There can be no doubt. The Kingdom will do all that it can to improve relations between Egypt and Turkey.
Its guiding principle is enshrined in the OIC. This is that the Muslim Ummah must be guided by peace, education and cooperation.