Egypt says it shares ‘identical’ views with Saudi Arabia on Yemen, Sudan

At a time when Yemen and Sudan are experiencing increased regional instability and growing regional rivalries with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt claims to be in agreement with Saudi Arabia.

In a statement released by the Egyptian presidency, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stressed on Monday that their countries have “identical” positions on “reaching peaceful solutions to the region’s crises” during the talks in Cairo.

Solutions must “maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity of states,” it said, citing the Gaza Strip, Yemen, Somalia, and Sudan.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who were once close partners in regional politics, are now at odds with one another as they continue to deteriorate.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have long supported rival groups within the dissented, internationally recognized government, which is largely reliant on opposition to the Houthis, which are supported by Iran.

Riyadh was angered when the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), supported by the UAE, took control of two key provinces in December.

According to two unnamed sources, STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi will lead a delegation to Saudi Arabia on Monday, according to Reuters news agency. The STC welcomed Saudi Arabia’s request for dialogue in response to the STC’s recent military escalation.

El-Sisi praised Saudi Arabia’s proposal to hold an “inclusive conference” for southern Yemeni organizations, while Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty demanded de-escalation and a political settlement led by Yemen.

Regional sensitivity

Sudan is another area of conflict, with Egypt and Saudi Arabia supporting the country’s de facto leader and the UAE being accused of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The Horn of Africa, a crucial region along important international shipping routes, is also in the spotlight.

The UAE has maintained close ties with Ethiopia and Somaliland, a self-declared republic that split from Somalia in 1991, while Saudi Arabia has sought to strengthen ties with Somalia’s federal government.