CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held talks on July 27 with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on regional developments, including the situation in Yemen. According to a presidential statement, the foreign minister lauded Egypt’s strategic role in protecting Arab national security and defending Arab issues.

The Saudi minister also held talks with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, saying in a press conference that his talks in Cairo dwelt on major issues in the region and challenges of regional security.

Shoukry, for his part, said the discussions focused on countering attempts by regional countries to expand their presence and negative influence in the Arab region. He added, “Egypt and Saudi Arabia are responsible for the security and stability of the Arab region and preserving the Arab resources from being wasted by non-Arab states.”

Two days after the visit, Riyadh unveiled on July 29 a plan to accelerate the implementation of a power-sharing deal signed in Riyadh in November 2019 between the Yemeni government and the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC). The deal aims to end a long-running rivalry between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the STC, which is backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Both Yemeni rivals are nominal allies under a Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, who overran much of Yemen’s north in 2014.