Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi greets the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) at his tomb after performing prayers at the Madinah Mosque, Thursday. — SPASamar Yahya Saudi GazetteJEDDAH — President Mohamed Morsi has said he held fruitful talks with Saudi leaders on his first official trip abroad after assuming office late last month. Speaking to reporters on his arrival in Madinah Thursday, Morsi reiterated the Kingdom's importance to Egypt's economic stability. Morsi said his talks with King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, focused on regional stability, according to the Saudi Press Agency. “Our discussions were fruitful and constructive and in the interest of Egypt, of Saudi Arabia and of the people of the region," Morsi said. “Everything (King Abdullah) said was in the interest of the future, of the region and of Egypt," he said, adding that the King spoke with “wisdom and knowledge and love for the Egyptian people." The Egyptian leader visited the holy city of Makkah Thursday and performed Umrah, the minor pilgrimage, before leaving for Madinah later in the day to pray at the Prophet's Mosque. Morsi, who arrived in Saudi Arabia Wednesday, also met with Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense, and other officials. “The stability of the region depends on the stability of Egypt and the Gulf, at the head of which stands Saudi Arabia," Morsi said after his talks with Saudi leaders Wednesday night. The Egyptian leader said he chose Saudi Arabia for his first official visit due to its Islamic status and the “deep rooted and historical relationship shared between the two countries." Answering a question about the future relations between the two countries, Prince Salman, appearing with Morsi at the press briefing late Wednesday night, said, “President Morsi's remarks reflected the opinion of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Kingdom and the Saudi people." During their talks, Morsi and Prince Salman dealt with a number of issues, particularly ways to enhance Saudi investments in the country and guarantees provided by the Egyptian government. Morsi reassured Saudi businessmen about their investments in Egypt, which are estimated at more than SR27 billion. He vowed to resolve all outstanding issues to create a safe and attractive investment climate in the country, especially for Saudi and Arab investors, according to an Egyptian Consulate source. The land transport link between Saudi Arabia and Egypt also came up during the talks as a means to double trade exchange between the two countries, the source said. Meanwhile, Egyptians living in the Kingdom had an exciting encounter with their first freely elected civilian president in modern history. About 300 Egyptians from across the Kingdom attended a meeting with Morsi at their country's Consulate at Al-Rowdah district in north Jeddah Thursday. Saudi Arabia hosts some 1.65 million Egyptian expatriate workers. In his welcome speech, Ambassador Mahmoud Ouf praised the revolution of January 25, which enabled Egyptians to choose their president in a democratic way.
