ALBAWABA- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi arrived in the United Arab Emirates for what was described as a fraternal visit, holding talks in Abu Dhabi with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan focused on regional stability and economic cooperation.
According to the UAE state news agency WAM, the two leaders emphasized the urgency of securing a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access to civilians.
In a statement from the Egyptian presidency, El-Sisi and Sheikh Mohamed warned that any further regional escalation would carry “repercussions for all,” stressing that Middle East stability depends on preserving the unity and territorial integrity of states.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful political solutions as the primary means of addressing the region’s overlapping crises.
Beyond Gaza, the talks highlighted expanding economic and technological cooperation.
Sheikh Mohamed accompanied El-Sisi on a visit to the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, underscoring the UAE’s ambition to position itself as a global technology hub and signaling continued investment-driven ties with Cairo.
The visit comes against the backdrop of a relationship that has deepened significantly since 2013, when the UAE, alongside Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, emerged as a key backer of El-Sisi’s government following the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi.
Gulf financial support, estimated at more than $20 billion, played a central role in stabilizing Egypt’s economy, while shared opposition to Islamist movements fostered close security, military, and infrastructure partnerships.
At the same time, the trip unfolds amid growing, if managed, differences between Cairo and Abu Dhabi. Egypt has voiced concern over the UAE's positions in the Horn of Africa, particularly Abu Dhabi’s ties with Ethiopia amid the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam dispute, which Cairo views as an existential threat to Nile water security.
Divergences have also surfaced in Sudan, Libya, and Somalia, where Egypt prioritizes state unity and territorial integrity, while the UAE frames its regional engagements as aimed at security and economic development, despite supporting militant groups.
The El-Sisi visit reflects an effort to reaffirm strategic alignment while containing emerging tensions. Although diplomatic channels remain active and cooperation robust, unresolved regional disagreements could test the durability of one of the Arab world’s most consequential partnerships.
