UAE, Egypt Leaders Unite on Gaza Ceasefire Push and Economic Partnership

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi met in Abu Dhabi against a backdrop of regional tension. According to the UAE's state news agency WAM, the two leaders stressed the urgent need to secure a lasting ceasefire and ensure that humanitarian aid can reach civilians in Gaza without obstacles.

In a statement released by the Egyptian presidency, the leaders warned against further escalation, noting that a wider conflict would have "repercussions for all," and argued that regional stability depends on protecting the "unity and territorial integrity" of Middle Eastern states, Xinhua news agency reported.

They also reaffirmed their commitment to "peaceful means" as the primary tool for resolving the region's overlapping crisis.

Beyond the crisis in Gaza, the two leaders discussed ways to deepen economic ties. Sheikh Mohamed took al-Sisi on a tour of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, an institution at the heart of the UAE's push to become a global tech hub.

The UAE has been a key source of foreign investment for Egypt. In 2024, the UAE announced a landmark 35-billion-U.S.-dollar deal to develop a massive stretch of Egypt's Mediterranean coast, a project that injected foreign currency and helped stabilise the Egyptian pound.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty had on Sunday called for the immediate deployment of an international stabilization force to monitor the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Abdelatty made the appeal during a phone call with his Greek counterpart, George Gerapetritis, as the two diplomats discussed escalating regional tensions, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Abdelatty emphasised the critical need to advance the second phase of the US-proposed peace plan, including deploying the International Stabilization Force to Gaza, which was endorsed by the UN Security Council in November last year.

He reiterated Egypt's support for the newly formed Palestinian technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, describing it as a vital transitional body to address daily administrative and humanitarian needs.

The committee, established in mid-January, is intended to pave the way for the Palestinian Authority's full return to governance in the territory, he affirmed.

The minister also stressed the importance of ensuring a continuous flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and laying the groundwork for early recovery and reconstruction.

The current ceasefire, in effect since October 10, has initially focused on prisoner exchanges and aid delivery. The proposed next phase envisions a full Israeli military withdrawal, the disarmament of Hamas, and the start of reconstruction under transitional governance.

- IANS