El-Sisi's statement came during his meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
El-Sisi arrived on Wednesday morning in the UAE where he was received by Bin Zayed at Qasr Al-Watan presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi.
During their meeting, El-Sisi stressed that Egypt stands firmly by the UAE in light of the recent “terrorist” attacks that led to the death and injury of a number of civilians in the UAE, Egyptian Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady said in a statement.
The president reaffirmed Egypt’s condemnation of the terrorist attacks carried out by the Houthi militia to target the security and stability of the UAE.
On 17 January, Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on a fuel depot in Abu Dhabi that killed three foreigners and injured six people, saying it was a retaliation for the Emirati stepped-up military intervention in Yemen.
El-Sisi extended condolences to Bin Zayed in a phone call shortly after the attack and affirmed Egypt’s support for the UAE and the measures it adopts to defend its territories and citizens.
On Monday, the UAE announced it had intercepted two ballistic missiles launched by the militia with no casualties reported.
The Houthis have launched thousands of missiles against Saudi Arabia over the past seven years, since a Saudi-led coalition that includes the UAE intervened in the Yemeni civil war to fight the Houthis.
Gulf and Arab security
During the meeting, El-Sisi stated that the security of Gulf countries is part of Egypt’s national security, stressing that Gulf security should not be compromised.
He also stressed Egypt’s rejection of any practices that could destabilise the Gulf, Rady said.
During their meeting, El-Sisi and Bin Zayed affirmed continuing joint work to counter foreign interference and attempts to sow division in the region.
They also agreed to cement cooperation to counter the challenges facing the Arab region, on top of which is terrorism and countries harbouring terrorists, Rady said.
The two leaders discussed regional developments of mutual concern, especially Libya and Yemen, Rady said.
They agreed that political solutions should be the bases of resolving crises in these countries.
El-Sisi highlighted Egypt’s unwavering stance regarding the settlement of regional crises, which is mainly based on eliminating foreign interference, combating violence and terrorist and extremist groups, and preserving states’ national institutions.
The president said that solidarity and firm stances among Arab nations are powerful tools to deter foreign threats.
Bin Zayed stated that the UAE agrees with Egypt regarding its efforts to settle disputes in the region, saying that Egypt will remain the UAE’s pivotal partner in the region, Rady said.
El-Sisi also attended on Wednesday a meeting with Bin Zayed, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, and Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president of the UAE and ruler of Dubai.
The meeting tackled developments in regional issues of mutual concern and means to enhance coordination and cooperation to foster mechanisms of Arab work in the face of regional challenges.
Strong bonds
Bin Zayed hailed Egypt’s strategic and pivotal role to protect Arab national security and its efforts to consolidate stability and development in the region, Rady added.
He expressed the Emirati government and people’s appreciation of the historic bonds and firm relations binding the two countries in various fields.
El-Sisi said Egypt is keen to develop cooperation and coordination with the UAE in a way that serves the interests of the two peoples and the Arab world.
He urged intensifying the exchange of visits, increasing the number of meetings between high-level officials from both countries to coordinate on Middle East developments, and unifying the Arab and Islamic ranks in the face of various regional challenges.
Promising opportunities for Emirati investments
Bin Zayed hailed the comprehensive development progress Egypt has achieved under El-Sisi over the past years, saying it has contributed to providing an investment-friendly climate and strengthening the business environment in Egypt.
The crown prince also highlighted Egypt’s ongoing implementation of mega national projects nationwide and the diverse and promising investment opportunities these projects secure in all sectors.
This has contributed to enhancing the Emirati businessmen’s keenness to increase their investments in Egypt in light of the serious and huge progress in the investment climate, Bin Zayed added.
Trade exchange between Egypt and the UAE has reached $3 billion over the past 10 months of 2021, according to recently released data by Egypt’s statistical agency CAPMAS, down from $3.8 billion during the same period in 2020.
The Egyptian imports from the UAE increased to $2 billion over the first 10 months of 2021, up from $1.2 billion during the same period in 2020. Egyptian exports to the UAE, however, decreased by 60.2 percent to reach $1 billion.
Emirati investments in Egypt increased by 87.1 percent to reach $1.8 billion during the fiscal year 2019/2020, CAPMAS added.
Recent meetings
In November, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the 12th annual Sir Bani Yas Forum in the UAE.
The foreign ministers discussed the latest developments in Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Sudan and means to boost economic and trade cooperation.
In August, El-Sisi held a meeting with a high-level delegation led by the UAE's National Security Adviser Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the presidential palace in Egypt’s New Alamein City.
The meeting tackled means to promote Egyptian-Emirati cooperation, particularly in the economic and trade sector, and reviewed efforts to expand investments in Egypt in various fields.
Bin Zayed paid an official visit to Egypt in April, where he agreed with El-Sisi on boosting Egyptian-Emirati cooperation to protect Arab national security, reach political settlement for regional issues, and restore the national institutions and preserve the resources in countries suffering from conflicts.
Short link: