Egypt’s Sisi meets UAE leader amid economic woes

Egypt’s Sisi meets UAE leader amid economic woes





April 12, 2023

— Cairo (AFP)







Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday welcomed his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan in Cairo, his latest meeting with a leader from the oil-rich Gulf amid his country's economic crisis.

Sisi has been courting Gulf leaders as Egypt grapples with economic turmoil that has seen official inflation shoot up to nearly 34 percent and the local currency halve in value over the past year.

The two leaders "explored opportunities to further strengthen the deep-rooted ties between the UAE and Egypt", Sheikh Mohamed tweeted.

They also "discussed our shared interest in promoting regional stability and progress", he added.

Egypt was hit hard by the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, having heavily relied in wheat imports and revenues from tourism from both countries.

Cairo's foreign reserves fell by about 20 percent in one year to $34.45 billion -- about $28 billion of which are deposits from wealthy Gulf donors.

Experts have for months warned that Egypt is among the top five countries at risk of defaulting on its debt, which hit a record high of $162.9 billion at the end of 2022, according to official figures.

But Sisi's Gulf allies -- on