The wise monarch who for many years presided over the Arabian peninsula, Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz, proved himself a staunch supporter of Egypt, if ever there was one. Before he passed away in January, it was King Abdullah who set the wheels in motion for the Sharm El-Sheikh Economic Conference. President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi lauded King Abdullah in his opening speech and thanked his successor, King Salman, for Saudi Arabia's continued support.