Egypt’s Sisi returns home after participating in Riyadh's meeting on Palestinian issue

CAIRO – 21 February 2025: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has departed from the Saudi capital, Riyadh, returning to Egypt after attending an informal meeting focused on the Palestinian issue.

The meeting saw the participation of the leaders of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi arrived in Riyadh, on Thursday, to participate in the informal meeting on the Palestinian issue, with the participation of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.

The Arab leaders’ meeting in Riyadh will focus on Egypt’s plan for Gaza’s post-war reconstruction without displacement of the Palestinians from the Strip. Egypt has announced its intention to present an integrated vision for the reconstruction of Gaza in a way that ensures the remaining of Palestinian people on their land and preserve their legitimate and legal rights.

Egypt is leading efforts to create a multi-phase reconstruction plan to replace a widely condemned proposal by Trump, which aimed to "take over" Gaza and permanently displace its two million Palestinian residents to Egypt and Jordan.

Egypt, Jordan, the Arab League—which includes all 22 Arab countries—and the European Union have all opposed this proposal, which jeopardizes the globally advocated two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In mid-February, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States is eager to receive any "better plan" for Gaza from the Arab states but warned that any proposal leaving Hamas in place "is going to be a problem."

Additional reporting by Amr Mohamed Kandil