Thursday, December 22, 2016

Saudi Arabian visit to Ethiopian dam tests Egyptian-Saudi relations


Egyptian media lashed out at Saudi Arabia following a Saudi delegation’s visit to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Friday, increasing the already tensed relations between the two countries.

The Saudi Arabian delegation was headed by Ahmed Al-Khateeb, senior advisor to the Saudi royal court and board chairman of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), who met with Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn in Addis Ababa on Thursday, according Ethiopia’s foreign ministry.

Former Irrigation Minister Mohamed Nasreddin Allam declared the visit to “an attempt to harm the interests of 92 million Egyptians and an added response to the ongoing conflicts between Egypt and the Kingdom.”

Several Egyptian media outlets also criticized Saudi Arabia for this move. On Saturday, Egyptian news commentator Mohamed Ali Khayr warned Saudi Arabia to “review its policies before it can only blame itself for what ensues.”

“Egypt is not obliged to continue to contain its reactions towards Saudi Arabia… any interference [by Saudi Arabia] in the GERD project implies a direct threat to Egypt’s national security,” Al Khayr continued.

Full story

What are the Saudi Barbarians up to now? They well know Egypt is very concerned about plans to put dams on the Nile that will affect the water that the country depends on.

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