Warm welcome

[gallery size="medium" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" td_gallery_title_input="Warm welcome " ids="47120,47117,47114,47115,47118,47116,47119"] CUSTODIAN of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman was accorded a warm welcome on Thursday as he arrived in Cairo for a high-profile visit focusing on boosting ties between the two Arab allies and tackling regional turbulence. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi greeted King Salman with a red carpet welcome and a kiss as the monarch descended from his jumbo jet on an escalator, flanked by lancers and dozens of Saudi and Egyptian officials. Two children in Saudi dress were held up to the King, who later headed to the presidential palace for a troop review kicked off with howitzer fire. El-Sisi escorted the King in a motorcade from the airport to Al-Ittihad Palace, where the King stays during the visit. On arrival at the palace, 21 cannon shots were fired to welcome the King. It was followed by the formal reception ceremony in which the national anthems of the two countries were played and then the King inspected a guard of honor. The entire ceremony was broadcast live on state television. The King’s entourage include Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense; Minister of Finance Ibrahim Al-Assaf; Minister of Commerce and Industry Tawfiq Al-Rabiah; Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Saleh Al-Sheikh; and Minister of Water and Electricity Abdullah Al-Hussayen. Prior to the King’s arrival in Cairo, El-Sisi said in a tweet: “I welcome my brother His Majesty King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, in the land of his second country Egypt.” The five-day visit is King Salman’s first to Egypt since he ascended to the throne in January 2015. El-Sisi has since visited Saudi Arabia several times, the latest being last month when he attended the conclusion of the massive military drills “Northern Thunder”. A presidential statement lauded King Salman’s visit, saying it “reflects the special ties” between the two countries. “The timing of the visit coincides with big challenges facing the area … emphasizing the importance of ongoing intense cooperation and coordination between the two countries on different regional files,” the statement said. Egypt is a partner to a Saudi-led military coalition that has since March 2015 been carrying out airstrikes in Yemen against rebels backed by Iran. Egypt has also joined an anti-terror Islamic coalition unveiled by Saudi Arabia late last year. During his trip to Egypt, King Salman will visit the parliament on Sunday where he is expected to deliver a speech. King Salman and El-Sisi will launch a university named after him in South Sinai. The two leaders will also attend the signing of more than 20 pacts aimed at bolstering cooperation in the fields of energy, oil, investment, tourism, housing and manpower. The accords include a $1.5 billion Saudi program to develop Egypt’s Sinai, a hotbed of insurgency in recent years. “The investment agreements, which will be signed with Egypt on Saturday, will have figures that will come as a good surprise for everyone,” Saudi Ambassador in Cairo Ahmad Qattan said in a tweet without elaborating. The Egyptian government has described as historic King Salman’s visit that received front-page treatment in state-run and private newspapers. Later in the day, King Salman held wide-ranging talks with El-Sisi. During the session, they reviewed fraternal relations between the two sisterly countries. They also discussed issues of mutual interest. Following the talks, the Egyptian president held a luncheon banquet in honor of King Salman and his accompanying high-ranking delegation.