Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sis has received UAE prime minister and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashed Al-Maktoum at Sharm El-Sheikh international airport hours before the inauguration of the conference.

The UAE has been one of Egypt’s staunchest economic allies since Mohamed Morsi’s ouster, providing Egypt with $9 billion in oil shipments this fiscal year alone.

El-Sisi also welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdel-Aziz to Sharm El-Sheikh.

The late King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz, who died in January, initiated the call for an international conference to help the Egyptian economy in the aftermath of the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.