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Saudi, Egypt agree to build bridge over Red Sea

Saudi King Salman announced Friday an agreement with Egypt to build a bridge over the Red Sea connecting the two countries, on the second day of his visit to Cairo.
A handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency on April 7, 2016 shows Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (L) and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz reviewing troops before a meeting in the capital Cairo.  Saudi King Salman started a five-day visit to Cairo in a show of support for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, with the leaders due to sign a raft of investment deals.  / AFP PHOTO / EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY AND AFP PHOTO / STRINGER / === RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / HO / EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY' - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS ==

A handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency on April 7, 2016 shows Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (L) and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz reviewing troops before a meeting in the capital Cairo.<br />Saudi King Salman started a five-day visit to Cairo in a show of support for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, with the leaders due to sign a raft of investment deals.<br />/ AFP PHOTO / EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY AND AFP PHOTO / STRINGER /

Saudi King Salman announced Friday an agreement with Egypt to build a bridge over the Red Sea connecting the two countries, on the second day of his visit to Cairo.

The monarch made the announcement in televised comments after meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and before representatives of the two countries began signing investment deals.

“I agreed with my brother his Excellency President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to build a bridge connecting the two countries,” Salman said.

“This historic step to connect the two continents, Africa and Asia, is a qualitative transformation that will increase trade between the two continents to unprecedented levels,” he added.

A beaming Sisi, who had minutes before presented the king with the ceremonial Nile Collar, suggested they name the bridge “King Salman bin Abdel Aziz Bridge”.

Following the announcement, representatives of both countries signed 17 investment deals and memorandums of understanding.

A government official had said the deals agreed with Saudi Arabia throughout Salman’s visit would amount to about $1.7 billion (1.5 billion euros).

They included an agreement to set up a university and homes in South Sinai, and a power plant.

2 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    Was this not the same Salman that was named in the Panama papers? Will the bridge not only serve to ‘ increase trade between the two continents to unprecedented levels,’ but quicken the pace of transfer of fund offshore?

  • Author’s gravatar

    Sound deals spanning trans africasia bridge infrastructure,,university establishment,, housing.. I hope buhari attract a million housing investment package from

    china, a chinese university of alternatove medicine,,or transport technology, a chinese language college and heavy machine tools investments. Signing loans of 2 billion dollars is not enough. This is his most important trip ever to the global economic powerhouse