Sisi's support for Syrian regime threatens to harm Cairo-Riyadh ties
Egypt's vote in favor of the French and Russian draft resolutions on Syria at the UN Security Council has created a rift in its ties with Saudi Arabia.
CAIRO — Relations between Saudi Arabia and Egypt have recently grown tense in light of their conflicting views on the Syrian crisis. On Oct. 8, the United Nations Security Council considered two draft resolutions (one sponsored by France, the other by Russia) on the situation in Aleppo. Egypt voted in favor of both resolutions, drawing criticism from Saudi Arabia, which supported the French draft.
Saudi Ambassador to the UN Abdullah al-Mouallimi described the Egyptian stance in favor of the Russian resolution as painful. Saudi media also bashed Egypt’s stance, while Saudi social media users urged their government to halt oil supplies to Egypt.
Egyptian Oil Minister Tariq al-Mulla told the media Nov. 8 that the Saudi Arabian Oil Co. has suspended its oil shipments to Egypt, even though the two countries signed a five-year agreement in April whereby Saudi Arabia would provide Egypt with petroleum products.
On Nov. 15, King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud received Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the former Egyptian foreign minister and current secretary-general of the Arab League, in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, where they discussed the general Arab situation and the role of the Arab League in promoting Arab unity. The visit seemed to be an attempt by the Arab League to reconcile the views of Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
