Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has arrived in Cairo on the first leg of a Middle East tour that comes ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden's trip to the region next month.
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt received bin Salman on Monday at the airport, a courtesy to the de-facto leader who is a steady financial backer of the Egyptian government. Both leaders are scheduled to hold talks in the country's presidential palace in Cairo on Tuesday. After that, the Saudi crown prince departs to Jordan for talks with its monarch, King Abdullah II, also a close ally of Saudi Arabia.
Bin Salman is then scheduled to travel to Turkey later this week.
Biden is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia at the tail end of his July 13-16 Middle East trip that includes stops in Israel and the occupied West Bank. He will hold talks with the crown prince as part of an effort to reset U.S.-Saudi ties, theAssociated Press reported. The administration could use help from the oil-rich kingdom to alleviate soaring prices at the pump for motorists at home and around the globe.