DHAKA: King Salman of Saudi Arabia said that a deal has been done with Egypt to build a bridge over the Red Sea connecting the two countries.

The emperor announced in televised comments on Friday - during his visit to Cairo - after meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and before consul of the two countries began signing investment deals.

‘I agreed with my brother, his Excellency President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, to build a bridge connecting the two countries,’ Salman said, reports Al Jazeera.

‘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.’

It was not mentioned where the bridge would be built, but at the closest point - Nabq, just north of Sharm el-Sheikh, in Egypt, and Ras Alsheikh Hamid, in Saudi Arabia - the two countries are 16km apart.

The plan to build a joint bridge over the Red Sea at the entrance of the Gulf of Aqaba has been in the pipeline for several years.

Earlier proposals suggested the causeway would feature a railway line in parallel with the road lanes, integrating both country’s proposed high-speed railway systems. In that plan, the causeway would pass through Saudi's Tiran Island, which would serve as a connection between the two countries.

Sisi, who minutes before the announcement had presented the king with the ceremonial Nile Collar, suggested the name ‘King Salman bin Abdel Aziz Bridge’.

‘The unique quality of the relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the extent to which they are strong and deep-rooted, will allow us to face mutual challenges,’ Sisi said.

‘Our cooperation will certainly allow us to resolve all of our regional crises, such as in Palestine, Yemen, Libya and Syria.’

BDST: 1506 HRS, APR 09, 2016
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