ISTANBUL

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz held talks over the phone on Wednesday to discuss regional and international developments.

The Egyptian Presidency said in a statement that discussions between the two leaders also dwelt on issues of common interest.

Last month, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Egypt as part of a regional tour that also included Jordan and Türkiye.

Wednesday’s talks between the Egyptian and Saudi leaders came ahead of a planned visit by US President Joe Biden to Saudi Arabia on July 15 as part of a regional tour that also includes Israel and the West Bank. Biden arrived in Israel earlier Wednesday.

On July 16, Biden will participate in a US-Arab summit in Jeddah city with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Iraq, Jordan and Egypt.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar