Fujairah’s ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi arrived in Egypt on Sunday to lead the UAE delegation at the joint Arab League European Union Summit. Egypt’s role as host underscores its pivotal role in international counter-terrorism efforts, Sheikh Hamad said as he arrived at the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh for the two-day conference. Sheikh Hamad also highlighted strategic economic relations between the UAE and Egypt. ''One of the core pillars of the UAE’s foreign policy is to promote humanitarian work and back international efforts to address disasters and catastrophes,'' he said. The summit, which will be co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and European Council President Donald Tusk, and attended by representatives of 50 countries, will cover a number of issues, including the war in Yemen, migration, the Israel-Palestine conflict, investment and energy. The range of topics suggests the gathering will be important more for its symbolic display of unity than for any concrete decisions made. Saudi King Salman also pardoned Egyptian citizens detained in the Kingdom. Many of the Egyptian citizens who were detained in Saudi Arabia had violated or overstayed their residency visas and were unable to pay the fines to return to their country. The Egyptian embassy in Saudi Arabia will deal with the concerned authorities to ensure the prisoner’s return to Egypt. There are almost three million Egyptians in Saudi Arabia, which make up a big part of the migrant labour force in the country. "President Abdel Fattah El Sisi valued this noble gesture by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques reflecting the great care paid by the kingdom's leadership to Egypt's government and people," a statement carried in Egyptian state news agency reported. <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/saudi-king-salman-arrives-in-egypt-for-arab-eu-summit-1.829251">King Salman arrived in Egypt a day earlier on Saturday</a>. Yemen's President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi is expected to attend alongside Britain's Theresa May, Germany's Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. The UAE delegation includes Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy; Obaid Al Tayer, Minister of State for Financial Affairs; Mariam Hareb Almheiri, Minister of State for Food Security; Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State; Saif Mohammed Al Hajri, Chairman of the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi; and other high-profile figures.
