Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi arrives in Abu Dhabi for visit

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has arrived in Abu Dhabi for an official visit. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed , Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, welcomed Mr Sisi and his delegation at the Presidential Airport in Abu Dhabi . Mr El Sisi was accorded an official reception at Al Watan Palace where the national anthems of the UAE and Egypt were played, followed by a 21-gun salute, state news agency Wam reported. Sheikh Mohamed shared photos of the occasion saying he was happy to host a "dear guest". "I was pleased to welcome Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi as a dear guest to the UAE today," he wrote on Twitter. "We discussed ways to strengthen the longstanding ties between our two nations. Our brotherly talks also covered issues related to regional stability and the well-being of our people." During the meeting, Sheikh Mohamed said that "relations between the UAE and Egypt are historical and deeply rooted." The two sides discussed co-operation and ways to deepen ties. The leaders spoke about regional and international developments of mutual concern, and the challenges that some countries in the Arab world are facing. They stressed the importance of promoting joint Arab action to strengthen regional security, stability and development. Sheikh Mohamed praised Egypt’s firm position in condemning the Houthi attacks on civilian sites in the UAE. Mr El Sisi reiterated the solidarity of his government and people with the Emirates following the attacks and supported the UAE for taking actions to protect its people. The Egyptian leader said his country wants to play a central role in resolving regional crises, through resisting foreign interference, combating violence and terrorism, and protecting national institutions to help restore security and stability in affected countries. At the end of the meeting, both sides said they would continue their efforts to address the challenges in the region, mainly terrorism and the countries that support it. The two leaders also joined Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Bahrain’s King Hamad for talks at Qasr Al Watan . The four discussed the prospects of further consolidating co-operation and co-ordination over issues of common concern, as well as the latest regional and international developments, and the common challenges facing the Arab region, state news agency Wam reported. The UAE and Egypt have maintained close ties in recent years, with regular contact about regional issues. In January, Mr El Sisi discussed enhancing relations and co-operation with Sheikh Mohamed. In 2020, Egypt was the UAE's largest trading partner in the Middle East, Wam reported in December. Trade between the two countries reached Dh15.09 billion ($4.11bn), up 22 per cent from Dh12.32bn in 2019. Egyptian exports to the UAE market totalled Dh10.58bn in 2020, compared with Dh8.12bn in 2019.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi arrives in Abu Dhabi for visit

The UAE is Egypt's largest trading partner in the Middle East