Egypt seeks Gulf unity as foreign minister begins solidarity tour

Egypt’s foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, has embarked on a diplomatic tour of Gulf states, as reported by The National and agencies on March 16th.

This has aimed at strengthening regional solidarity and promoting efforts to ease tensions following recent Iranian missile strikes across the region.

The trip, requested by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, has taken Abdelatty to several capitals where he delivered messages of support and discussed ways to stabilise the Middle East amid escalating security concerns.

During a stop in Al Ain, Abdelatty met Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates’ deputy prime minister and foreign minister.

Talks focused on the impact of recent Iranian missile attacks on the United Arab Emirates and neighbouring countries.

Abdelatty condemned the strikes as “unprovoked” and described them as a violation of international law, while reaffirming Egypt’s support for measures taken by the UAE to protect its sovereignty and security.

UAE officials welcomed Egypt’s backing during the crisis, and both sides stressed the importance of diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation.

Abdelatty also offered condolences for those killed in the attacks and praised the UAE’s response as measured despite difficult circumstances.

Earlier on March 15th, the Egyptian minister began his tour in Doha, where he delivered a message from El Sisi to Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar.

Discussions centred on ways to reduce tensions and safeguard regional shipping routes and critical energy infrastructure.

In talks with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, both sides emphasised the need for coordinated Arab diplomacy and faster activation of joint defence and crisis-response mechanisms.

While Abdelatty was meeting Gulf officials, El Sisi also spoke with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss the deteriorating regional situation. Both leaders agreed on the importance of halting military escalation and prioritising dialogue.

Abdelatty later travelled to Muscat, where he met Haitham bin Tariq, the sultan of Oman, and Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi. The talks focused on the need to halt hostilities and pursue political solutions to the growing crisis.

The Egyptian diplomat is expected to continue his regional outreach with a visit to Amman, as Cairo seeks to coordinate diplomatic efforts with Arab partners to contain the escalating conflict.

The National and agencies, Maghrebi.org