Egypt president, Saudi king focus on stability

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi held talks with Saudi leaders and on Thursday made a pilgrimage on his first official trip abroad, highlighting the kingdom's importance to Egypt's economic stability.

The trip by the newly-elected president comes despite tensions between the two Arab powerhouses over a rare diplomatic crisis that saw Riyadh recall its ambassador to Cairo in April.

Morsi said he and King Abdullah, in a meeting late on Wednesday, held "fruitful" talks focused on regional stability, according to the official SPA news agency.
Our discussions were "fruitful and constructive and in the interest of Egypt, of Saudi Arabia and of the people of the region," Morsi told reporters in the Red Sea city of Jeddah after the meeting.

"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."

Morsi arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for his first foreign trip since taking office and also met with Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, who greeted him on arrival.