CAIRO: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will begin a regional tour of Egypt, Jordan and Turkey to hold talks with their heads of state on relations between the countries and developments in the region.

This will be the crown prince’s third official visit to Egypt.

Speaking to Arab News, Egyptian minister of planning and economic development, Dr Hala Helmy El-Said, said: “The Arab Republic of Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have long enjoyed historical strong relations, through a strategic bilateral partnership and the continuous coordination towards issues of common interest.”

The deep-rooted ties binding the two countries and people have seen the pair work together to boost economic relations and provide a solid base for investment in infrastructure.

“The interconnectedness between both nations has activated an institutional cooperation in trade, investment, electricity, oil and petrochemicals, telecommunications and finance, witnessing a golden era of unprecedented developments affirming strengthened solidarity and partnership,” said El-Said.

“Renowned by their deep-rooted and extended historical relations, Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia share a mutual vision to sustainable development, stability, and inclusive growth with an ambition to drive prosperity for the region.

“Furthermore, both nations enjoy a strong sense of solidarity with decades of unified relations in trade and investment. An example of these perpetual ties can be seen in the form of the volume of trade and investment.”

The minister added: “Egypt and Saudi Arabia are pivotal countries in the Middle East; together they constitute about 34 percent of the region’s population and constitute about 39 percent of the Arab region’s GDP, which makes them an important economic hub in the region.”

The economic and strategic bilateral ties between both countries affirms the commitment of their political leadership led by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the Saudi leadership, the minister said, to “further develop and consolidate these relations and push them to broad horizons that meet the aspirations of the two nations.”