Op-eds
/ Israel and the Middle East
Saudi Arabian King Salman’s five-day visit to Egypt and the extensive media coverage it garnered are an expression of the warming of ties since al-Sisi became president in June 2013. Morsi’s overthrowing and declaration of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization in December 2013 were welcomed by Riyadh and immediately rewarded with a tremendous $12 billion aid package from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE. The Egyptian-Saudi rapprochement manifests itself in various forms. In September 2014 the Saudis opened their largest embassy in Cairo, al-Sisi visited the kingdom three times in his first year in office and he was also awarded the prestigious Abd al-Aziz medal, which is reserved for prominent individuals such as Presidents Bush and Obama.
