Egyptian analysts said that the visit of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, to Cairo represents a reflection of the depth of the strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and is gaining double importance in light of the escalation of regional tensions and threats facing the security of navigation in the Straits of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea, in addition to the continuing Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
In statements to Asharq Al-Awsat, experts said that the consensus demonstrated by the talks confirms that the security of the two countries has become more closely linked to the rapid developments in the region, especially with the risks of expanding the circle of confrontation and its impact on navigation, trade, and energy supplies.
The editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram Portal, Mohamed Ibrahim El-Desouki, believes that relations between Cairo and Riyadh “are not circumstantial and dependent on a crisis or a passing problem,” explaining that they are based on history, geography, popular ties, common higher interests, and unity of destiny.
Al-Desouki described the relationship as a “long-term strategic partnership,” and not a temporary alliance that ends with the end of crises, noting that the Saudi-Egyptian role remains required to maintain Arab security and stability.
Facing challenges
Member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mohamed Hegazy, said that the visit showed integration and consensus in visions regarding confronting current challenges and reducing regional threats that affect Saudi Arabia’s security and interests.
Hegazy stressed that Cairo's position is firm towards the security of the Gulf states, and that Egypt considers "any threat to its security a threat to Egyptian national security," noting that what was emphasized during the visit reflects the constants of historical relations between the two countries.
Hegazy described the meeting as a meeting between the “two wings of the nation” in confronting crises, pointing out the importance of the timing of the talks.
The visit coincided with Cairo's affirmation of its support for Saudi Arabia in confronting the Houthi attacks, and its condemnation of the attacks targeting the Kingdom, as a threat to the region's stability and regional security.
Security of the Straits and the Red Sea
Member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ashraf Harbi, confirmed that the tensions in the Bab al-Mandab and Hormuz straits were at the forefront of the issues discussed in the talks, given their security and economic repercussions on the countries of the region.
He pointed out that the navigation disturbance directly affects the movement of ships heading to the Suez Canal, as well as Gulf oil tankers, which makes the security of the Red Sea and sea lanes a common interest for Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Harbi pointed out another dimension related to Arab relations with Iran, especially in light of the escalation carried out by its arms in the region, stressing that the repercussions of this do not stop at Saudi security, but rather extend to Egyptian security and the economy.
He stressed the importance of Saudi-Egyptian coordination to prevent the region from sliding into a comprehensive war, considering that intensifying coordination between the two countries could constitute a prelude to a broader Arab movement.
In addition to the security files, the talks stressed the necessity of developing trade and investment cooperation, matching positions towards the Palestinian issue and the two-state solution, as well as supporting Sudan’s security and unity and rejecting any entities parallel to its national institutions.
A Yemeni military source revealed on Tuesday that the Houthi group dug trenches in the mountains overlooking and close to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and mined the vital international sea corridor.
The source explained in a statement to the German News Agency that “the Houthi group dug multiple trenches in the mountains overlooking and close to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the most important international sea lanes.”
The military source, preferring to remain anonymous, added that the group also deployed many mines in the vital international maritime corridor.
The source considered that these measures “come in an attempt by the Houthis to prevent or hinder government forces from regaining the areas they recently controlled.”
It is noteworthy that since the beginning of this September, several Yemeni fronts have witnessed a widespread military escalation between government forces and the Houthis, leaving many dead and wounded on both sides, in addition to civilian casualties, in addition to the displacement of tens of thousands.
This escalation led to the Houthis taking control of several vital directorates and important centers in the Hodeidah and Taiz governorates, including the strategic city of Mokha, leading to the group’s influence over the international sea corridor, Bab al-Mandab.
The file of Egyptians working in Libya dominated the discussions of the labor ministers of the two countries, which focused on organizing their conditions and enhancing cooperation in the fields of employment and rehabilitation, in addition to supporting the electronic link between the “Wafed” platform and the electronic visa platform, to facilitate their entry and movement procedures between the two countries.
The Minister of Labor and Rehabilitation in the interim “National Unity” government, Ali Al-Abed, met his Egyptian counterpart, Hassan Al-Raddad, on the sidelines of the fifty-second session of the Arab Labor Conference, which was hosted by the Egyptian capital, Cairo, yesterday, Monday.
The meeting touched on regulating the conditions of Egyptian workers in Libya, in accordance with applicable procedures and regulations, which contributes to regulating the labor market and enhancing the flow of procedures between the two countries.
The Ministry of Labor in the “National Unity” government said that the two sides’ discussions addressed “the importance of activating the joint committees between Libya and Egypt, and enhancing coordination in files of common interest, in addition to supporting the electronic link between the (Wafed) platform and the electronic visa platform, which contributes to developing procedures and organizing the movement of workers.”
The two ministers stressed their keenness to “strengthen joint cooperation and develop coordination mechanisms in the fields of work, employment and rehabilitation, in a way that serves the common interests between Libya and Egypt.”
The Egyptian Ministry of Labor explained that the discussions dealt with a number of files of common interest in the fields of work, employment, rehabilitation, and regulating the conditions of Egyptian workers in Libya.
The Libyan Ministry of Labor and Rehabilitation had previously launched the “Wafed” digital platform to register foreign workers, and said at the time that this measure aims to “regulate the labor market and enhance economic stability in Libya.”
Last June, the “National Unity” government announced the official activation of the “Wafed” and “E-VISA LIBYA” systems, as the approved national platform for managing electronic visas and regulating the entry and residence of foreigners in Libya, with the launch of the second phase of the project.
There are no official figures in Libya about the number of foreign workers, due to the political division, the existence of two governments, the expansion of smuggling operations, and the leakage of many expatriates into the labor market informally, but Al-Abed stated at the end of November 2024 that the number of foreign workers in Libya exceeded two million people.
The government said that the Minister of State for Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Affairs, Mohammed bin Ghalboun, issued a circular requiring the official start of operating the two systems, within the framework of implementing the government’s vision to develop government services and enhance the path of digital transformation.
During the joint supreme committee meeting, in the presence of Abdel Hamid Dabaiba, Prime Minister of the “unity” government, and Mustafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of the Egyptian Government, Egypt and Libya signed 13 joint agreements in September 2021, which included the fields of transportation, electricity, and oil, in addition to infrastructure, youth, sports, and social insurance.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Libyan Minister of Labor and Rehabilitation congratulated his Egyptian counterpart on his election as head of the government team in the fifty-second session of the Arab Labor Conference, stressing Libya’s keenness to “continue developing joint cooperation relations with Egypt in various fields of work, employment and rehabilitation.”
The consortium of Egyptian companies, consisting of "Orascom", "Hassan Allam" and "Pioneers of Modern Engineering", is implementing large projects in the capital, Tripoli, including the third ring road project, whose implementation cost is 4.263 billion dinars, in addition to the implementation of the Ghat-Ubari road project in southwestern Libya.
(The dollar is equal to 6.33 dinars in the official market), and 9.44 in the parallel market.
