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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called Tuesday for free and secure navigation through the straits of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea, during talks in Cairo held as Egypt declared the two countries' national security "interconnected and inseparable" amid escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The two leaders "emphasized the importance of ensuring the freedom and security of maritime navigation" through the two straits, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement, with Sisi reaffirming Egypt's support for measures taken by Riyadh "to protect its security and stability" and for reaching "a comprehensive and sustainable political solution" to the crisis in Yemen.
Prince Mohammed arrived in Cairo early Tuesday for an official working visit, according to Egyptian state-linked outlet Al-Qahera News.
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry described it as a "working visit."
Reception ceremonies included a commemorative photograph, followed by a closed-door meeting between the two leaders, an expanded session with delegations from both countries, and a luncheon hosted by Sisi in the crown prince's honor.
Official spokesman Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy said Sisi welcomed the visit and praised the depth of the "brotherly relations" between the two countries, conveying his greetings to Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud and congratulating him, the crown prince and the Saudi people ahead of Saudi National Day on Sept. 23.
Prince Mohammed, for his part, expressed appreciation for the warm reception and conveyed the king's greetings to Sisi, according to the Egyptian presidency's statement.
According to the presidency's account of the talks, the two leaders agreed that relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia must remain "optimal within the Arab framework," and that the security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states forms part of Egypt's national security.
Egypt expressed "complete rejection and condemnation" of any attacks or threats to the kingdom's sovereignty, stability, territorial integrity, or to freedom of navigation in international waterways, with both sides agreeing that current regional circumstances demand greater solidarity and coordination between Cairo and Riyadh.
The two leaders agreed to intensify work on practical measures to develop bilateral cooperation and remove obstacles to increasing trade and investment, in line with what the presidency described as "the historical ties and strategic proximity between the two countries."
Separately, on Tuesday, Egypt's Foreign Ministry affirmed its "full solidarity and complete support" for Saudi Arabia against any threat, following Houthi drone and missile attacks that injured at least 13 civilians in the kingdom's south.
"The attacks constitute a clear violation of the rules and provisions of international law and a blatant threat to regional stability and security," the ministry said, renewing Egypt's "categorical rejection" of the strikes and warning that their continuation would fuel tensions and escalation in the region.
"The national security of Egypt and Saudi Arabia is interconnected, integrated and inseparable," the ministry said.
Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government, said Tuesday that 13 civilians were injured in Houthi attacks targeting Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis have in recent days extended control over Yemen's Red Sea coastline, including Mayyun Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The Bab el-Mandeb, the southern gateway to the Red Sea and Egypt's Suez Canal, has become essential to Saudi oil exports this year with the Strait of Hormuz largely blocked by the U.S.-Iran war.
Since the Houthis declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia in July, Riyadh has relied more heavily on Egypt to export oil, chiefly through the overland Sumed pipeline, which carries crude from the Saudi Red Sea port of Yanbu to Egypt's Ain Sokhna and onward to Sidi Kerir on the Mediterranean.
A recent drone attack that Riyadh said was launched from Iraq forced the shutdown of the East-West pipeline feeding Yanbu, pushing global oil prices above $100 a barrel.
Disruption to the Bab el-Mandeb could also cost Egypt heavily, given Cairo's reliance on Suez Canal tolls for crucial foreign currency revenue.
Canal revenues currently stand at roughly half their level before the Houthis began attacking Red Sea shipping in 2023, attacks the group described as an act of solidarity with Palestinians during Israel's war in Gaza.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said last week that Cairo's Suez Canal losses had reached $11 billion.
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