80,000 Egyptians to perform Umrah this Ramadan

RIYADH: There are some 80,000 Egyptians who will perform Umrah during Ramadan this year in the Kingdom, reflecting the warmth between the two countries.
“The two countries are bound by strong ties and we expect that their Umrah performance will proceed smoothly,” Egyptian Ambassador Afifi Abdel Wahab told Arab News on Monday.
The Egyptian ambassador added that many Egyptians who are performing Umrah have been residing in Saudi Arabia for quite a long time.
“In fact, there are close to 2 million Egyptians who have been working and living in Saudi Arabia,” said Abdel Wahab who was the Egyptian permanent representative to the Arab League from 2010 to 2012.
On the other hand, he said, there are “half a million Saudis residing and doing business in Egypt.”
“Last year, there were also about 400,000 Saudis who visited Egypt as tourists,” he said.
Underlining the strong bilateral ties, he noted the recent visit to the Kingdom by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman led Saudi officials in receiving El-Sissi at the King Khaled International Airport in the Saudi capital.
The two leaders held official talks at the Royal Palace on bilateral relations, means of cooperation and regional events.
Abdel Wahab also noted that Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman visited Egypt three weeks ago. “He held talks with Egyptian officials and discussed issues in the region, including efforts to restore the legitimate government in Yemen,” the Egyptian envoy said.
Egypt is part of the Saudi-led coalition to restore the legitimate government in Yemen.
Abdel Wahab said that the two countries have good bilateral trade to the tune of $5 billion. The Kingdom is the fifth largest export destination for Egyptian products with 4.6 percent. Top Egyptian exports include crude petroleum, gas, refined petroleum, gold and nitrogenous fertilizers.