US Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to visit Egypt on Sunday as part of his first diplomatic tour since he took office, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reports.

The trip comes as part of a planned visit to nine countries in Western Europe and the Middle East including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.

His tour is scheduled to last from 24 February until 6 March.

In Cairo, Secretary Kerry will meet with senior Egyptian officials, political leaders, civil society leaders, and the business community to "encourage greater political consensus and moving forward on economic reforms," the US Department of State said last Sunday.

During his visit to Cairo, Kerry will also meet with Arab League Secretary General Nabil El-Arabi to consult on "shared challenges across the region," including bilateral cooperation, the crisis in Syria, and Iran's nuclear programme.

The US embassy in Cairo has said it will be closed on Sunday.