Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty underscored Egypt’s unwavering commitment to Gulf stability on Monday, describing the region’s security as a “fundamental pillar” of Egypt’s own national interests. During a meeting in Riyadh with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassem Mohammed Al-Budaiwi, Abdelatty reaffirmed Cairo’s solidarity with Gulf nations at the “leadership, government, and popular levels.”
The meeting took place during the fifth leg of Abdelatty’s Arab tour, which commenced on Sunday against the backdrop of the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran, now in its 18th day. Since the onset of the war on 28 February, Iran has launched dozens of missiles and drones against US military bases and energy facilities across Gulf nations, Jordan, and Iraq.
The escalating conflict has intensified fears of a wider regional spillover. Reports indicate that at least 3,700 Iranian missiles and drones have targeted Gulf nations since the outbreak of hostilities. The UAE has reportedly sustained the heaviest bombardment, followed by Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. Abdelatty warned of the “catastrophic consequences” of further military escalation, urging all parties to prioritize diplomacy to avert total regional instability.
According to a Foreign Ministry statement, he also voiced a firm rejection of any external interference in the internal affairs of GCC member states. Economic cooperation Beyond security, the two officials discussed deepening economic integration. Abdelatty proposed institutionalizing the Egyptian-Gulf Trade and Investment Forum as a permanent platform to build on the momentum of its inaugural 2015 session in Cairo. For his part, Al-Budaiwi lauded Egypt’s role as a “stabilizing force” in the Arab world, commending Cairo’s diplomatic agility in containing crises and defending Arab interests on the global stage.
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