The Salafist Nour Party, Egypt's second largest Islamist group after the Muslim Brotherhood and the latter's Freedom and Justice Party, met with members of the National Salvation Front (NSF) opposition umbrella group in a closed meeting on Thursday.

Journalists were not allowed to attend the event.

In the weeks leading up to the meeting, a rift opened up between the Nour Party and other Salafist groups when the former announced its intention to engage in dialogue with the NSF. The NSF is accused by its critics of rejecting the democratic legitimacy of President Mohamed Morsi and his government.

The Nour Party supported several of the NSF's demands, chief of which is the replacement of the current government of Prime Minister Hisham Qandil with a government of 'national salvation.'

Nour is also currently at odds with the Muslim Brotherhood – after previously supporting President Morsi, who hails from the group – after a Nour Party spokesman accused the Brotherhood of attempting to "monopolise" Egypt's political arena.

The meeting lasted about three hours but no official statement nor details were released.