Saudi, Egypt to build bridge over Red Sea

Cairo - Project to boost trade between two continents: Saudi

Saudi Arabia on Friday announced plans to build a bridge over the Red Sea to Egypt, in a lavish show of support for the government of President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.

The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, who is on a rare five-day trip to Egypt, made the announcement after meeting Sisi at the president's Ittahidiya Palace.

"I agreed with my brother his excellency President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to build a bridge connecting the two countries," King Salman said.

"This historic step to connect the two continents, Africa and Asia, is a qualitative transformation that will increase trade between the two continents to unprecedented levels," he added.

A beaming Sisi, who minutes earlier had presented the king with the ceremonial Nile Collar, suggested naming the structure the "King Salman bin Abdel Aziz Bridge".

The idea of a causeway between the two countries had been floated before, especially by ousted Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak, but never made it past the planning stage.

Thousands of Saudi tourists visit Egypt annually, and thousands of Egyptians visit Saudi Arabia each year for pilgrimage.

"This visit comes as a confirmation of the pledges of brotherhood and solidarity before the two brotherly countries," Sisi said in a televised speech.