Roundup: Egypt, Saudi Arabia agree on establishing land bridge between two countries: state-TV

Egypt and Saudi Arabia have agreed Friday on establishing a land bridge to connect the two countries, visiting King Salman Bin Abdel-Aziz said in a joint press conference.

"The land bridge will be named after King Salman," Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said.

The bridge will constitute historical leap in connecting Asia and Africa and will raise the mutual trade exchange between the two continents to unprecedented levels, King Salman said.

The establishment of the land bridge will support the exportation movement between the two countries, and will create job opportunities for the whole region, King Salman reiterated.

The Saudi leader is currently paying his first visit to Egypt since his inauguration as king in early 2015.

"King Salman's visit to Egypt is meant to bolster ties and strategic partnership between the two countries in a manner that helps face regional threats and crises," said the Egyptian president.

The two countries are capable of maintaining the security of the Arab region at this critical phase, al-Sisi said.

He said coordination between the two countries is necessary to solve the Yemeni, Libyan, Syrian and Palestinian issues.

"The visit aims to open new horizons for joint action and boost bonds between the two countries," al-Sisi added.

Earlier, President al-Sisi has granted the Saudi king, who arrived on Thursday in Cairo for a five-day visit, the Collar of the Nile, Egypt's highest state honor.

Egyptian and Gulf experts said the current visit of King Salman seems to refute the theory of those who believe there is disagreement between Riyadh and Cairo on Syrian and Yemeni crises.

"There is no deep disagreement between Riyadh and Cairo, whether on the issues of Syria, Yemen, Lebanon or Libya, but the tactics and means to achieve joint purposes might be different," Omar al-Hassan, head of the Gulf Center for Strategic Studies, told Xinhua.

He said there are current cooperation programs, common strategies and constant coordination between Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

The two sides have signed eight agreements, six memos of understanding and three cooperation programs that covered fields including education, health, housing, agriculture, electricity and marine transportation.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia have also agreed on establishing King Salman University in the North Sinai city of Tour.

Saudi Arabia has been the key backer of al-Sisi since the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi in 2013 after mass protests against his one-year rule.

It has pumped billions of dollars to help and invest into Egypt's battered economy.

King Salman is expected to meet grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the highly prestigious Sunni educational institution, on Saturday.

On Sunday, the Saudi leader will deliver a speech in the Egyptian parliament. Endit