Egypt’s al-Sisi in Bahrain for final leg of Gulf tour

By Ahmed al-Masri

DOHA, Qatar (AA) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrived in Manama on Monday for a two-day visit to Bahrain following a one-day stopover in Kuwait.

Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa received al-Sisi at Bahrain’s international airport, according to reports on state television.

During the visit, al-Sisi and King Hamad are expected to discuss bilateral relations and recent developments in the Arab, regional and international arenas, according to a statement issued earlier by Bahrain’s royal court.

"[Al-Sisi’s] visit comes within the context of ongoing cooperation between the leadership of the two countries,” Egyptian Ambassador to Bahrain Suha Ibrahim al-Far told Bahrain’s official news agency.

The two leaders, al-Far was quoted as saying, were expected to discuss “means of strengthening their political and economic relations in the face of a host of common challenges".

Al-Sisi’s visit, the ambassador added, “also represents an opportunity for business interests on both sides in light of Bahrain's recent development experiences and the country’s 2030 economic plan".

The visit, she went on, also has a “political dimension”, by drawing attention to Egypt’s role “in supporting the stability of the Arab Gulf region and preserving [Egypt’s] brotherly relations with the Gulf States”.

Al-Sisi's visit to Bahrain is the fourth and final leg of a wider Gulf tour that also saw the Egyptian president visit Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates within the last 15 days.