Egypt’s el-Sisi meets MBS, backs Saudi call for secure Red Sea navigation

Red Sea disruptions impact Egypt’s economy, with Suez Canal revenues dropping by $7bn in two years.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Cairo on Tuesday [Saudi Press Agency/SPA]

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has backed Saudi calls for secure and unhindered navigation in the Red Sea during a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Cairo, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency.

Sisi met the crown prince, known as MBS, on Tuesday as part of a Saudi delegation that included Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and other senior officials.

The statement affirmed that “relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia can only be exemplary within the Arab framework, and that the security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states is an integral part of Egypt’s national security”, while also emphasising efforts to achieve a sustainable political solution to the Yemen conflict. The Saudi-backed Yemeni government has lost key territories including coastal areas vital for oil shipping to the Iran-aligned Houthis in recent days.

MBS emphasised the importance of secure navigation in both the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The visit by Saudi leaders comes as Yemen’s Houthi rebels have captured Mocha port and effectively control the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Despite Houthi assurances that maritime traffic in the Red Sea will not be affected, Saudi-linked ships have been targeted by the group in recent months.

The sharp decline in Red Sea transit affected Egypt’s economy, which relies heavily on Suez Canal tolls as a key source of foreign currency.

Egypt lost approximately $7bn between 2023 and 2024, or about 60 percent of the Suez Canal’s revenues, according to the Suez Canal Authority.

Despite Egypt’s assurances, the country has so far avoided military action to stop the Houthi disruption of tanker traffic in the Red Sea.

红海航运中断影响埃及经济，苏伊士运河收入在两年内下降了 70 亿美元。

埃及总统阿卜杜勒·法塔赫·塞西周二在开罗会见了沙特王储穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼。[沙特通讯社/SPA]

埃及总统府发表声明称，埃及总统阿卜杜勒·法塔赫·塞西在开罗与沙特王储穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼会晤时，支持了沙特关于确保红海航行安全和畅通无阻的呼吁。

周二，塞西会见了沙特王储穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼（MBS），他是沙特代表团成员之一，该代表团还包括外交大臣费萨尔·本·法尔汉亲王和其他高级官员。

声明重申，“埃及与沙特阿拉伯的关系只能在阿拉伯框架内达到典范，沙特阿拉伯和海湾国家的安全是埃及国家安全不可分割的一部分”，同时强调双方致力于寻求也门冲突的可持续政治解决方案。近日，沙特支持的也门政府失去了包括对石油运输至关重要的沿海地区在内的重要领土，这些领土落入了伊朗支持的胡塞武装手中。

据沙特通讯社报道，穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼强调了曼德海峡和红海航行安全的重要性。

沙特领导人此次访问之际，也门胡塞武装已经占领了摩卡港，并有效控制了曼德海峡。

尽管胡塞武装保证红海的海上交通不会受到影响，但近几个月来，与沙特阿拉伯有关的船只一直是该组织的袭击目标。

红海航运量的急剧下降影响了埃及的经济，埃及严重依赖苏伊士运河通行费作为外汇的主要来源。

据苏伊士运河管理局称，埃及在 2023 年至 2024 年间损失了约 70 亿美元，约占苏伊士运河收入的 60%。

尽管埃及一再保证，但迄今为止，该国仍避免采取军事行动来阻止胡塞武装对红海油轮运输的破坏。