Egypt says it has 'identical' positions with Saudi Arabia on Yemen and Sudan Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 01/05/2026 - 15:43 Comments come as tensions rise between Saudi Arabia and UAE over a range of issues Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo, Egypt, 5 January 2026 (Handout/Egyptian Presidency/AFP) Off During talks in Cairo on Monday, Egypt said it had "identical" positions with Saudi Arabia on a range of foreign policy issues, including Yemen , Sudan and Somaliland. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud said that the two countries were on the same page when it came to "reaching peaceful solutions to the region's crises". They specifically cited the cases of Yemen, Sudan, the Gaza Strip and Somaliland, which was recently recognised by Israel as an independent breakaway state from Somalia. Sisi and Prince Faisal said that they were committed to preserving "the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states". The meeting comes as tensions have started to rise between Saudi Arabia and neighbouring UAE over a range of regional issues, with the Emiratis supporting secessionists and insurgencies in Sudan, Yemen and Somaliland. Somaliland has been part of the unified Somali Republic since 1960, but declared its independence in 1991 and established a de facto state. Although it has had unofficial diplomatic relations with several countries, its sovereignty had not been recognised by any permanent UN member state until this week. US President Donald Trump told the New York Post that Washington was looking into the issue. The UAE - which has long maintained close relations with Somaliland and is thought to be a key advocate for Hargeisa's recognition on the international stage - reacted lukewarmly to Israel's recognition of Somaliland last month and some outlets report that the country has started accepting travel documents from the breakaway state. MEE reported in October that Somaliland's Berbera port was part of a network of bases along the Gulf of Aden built by the UAE. There have also been disputes between the two countries on Yemen, where the UAE backs the Southern Transitional Council (STC) secessionist group and Riyadh supports the internationally recognised government. How the UAE built a circle of bases to control the Gulf of Aden Read More » On Sunday, an offensive led by Saudi-backed tribal fighters forced the STC to withdraw from the city of Mukalla in eastern Yemen's province of Hadhramaut, according to state-run media. STC fighters were killed after Saudi Arabia carried out air strikes on positions held by the movement in southeastern Yemen while strikes were also reported at an airport and military base in Hadhramaut's city of Seiyun. Forces backed by Riyadh are currently waging an offensive to reclaim territory taken over by the STC in December. Sisi on Monday said he welcomed Saudi Arabia's proposal to host an "inclusive conference" for southern Yemeni groups. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty also called for de-escalation and a Yemeni-led political settlement. Diplomacy News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0