Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman’s recent visit to Egypt and Turkey are strategically significant, both in terms of the countries visited and the timing. He began with an unprecedented visit to Egypt, which lasted five days and had major consequences for the two countries, followed by a three day visit to Turkey.
King Salman's visit to Egypt shot down all speculations about the “deteriorating” relationship between the two countries. The visit revealed potential solutions to the issues affecting the region. King’s address to the Egyptian Parliament; his visit to Al-Azhar, considered by many Muslims to be the beacon of moderate Islam, and his meeting with Coptic Pope Tawadros, have renewed of peace and stability in the region. The strategic, economic, and political nature of the agreements signed between the two countries pushed the bilateral ties to a new level.
The political, economic, security and military projects that will come about in these numerous agreements between Egypt and Saudi Arabia show that these countries are bound together when it comes to political and economical strategies needed to face the challenges of the 21st century. This forging of a stronger relationship between the countries will also help to create a powerful presence to stand in front of the threat of terrorism, which is wreaking havoc on the region. This bond can help increase the effectiveness of economic projects by building new urban structures including a bridge between Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
King Salman went straight from Egypt to Turkey without returning to Riyadh, thus confirming the importance of the visit. King Salman discussed political, economic and security issues with Turkish President Recep Teyyip Erdogan. The royal visit to Turkey indicated that there would be an alliance based on the countries’ shared interests and common positions over various regional and global issues.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt are the two most important Arab countries of the Middle East. This historic visit of King Salman has shown to Egypt and Turkey clearly and unequivocally the need to take swift action, cutting the risk of internal and external threats to the countries. This unprecedented move by Saudi Arabia comes at a time of serious political and security challenges in the Middle East. There must be cooperation among the three major countries in the region: Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Hopefully this is just the start.
