Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi will head to Saudi Arabia on Thursday to attend the finale of the joint military exercise "Thunder of the North," the Egyptian presidency announced on Wednesday. Twenty countries including Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Qatar, and Jordan are participating in "Thunder of the North," which started last month in northern Saudi Arabia. "Egypt's participation in the exercises comes as part of its role in supporting Arab and Gulf security, which Egypt considers part of its own national security," Alaa Youssef, Egyptian presidency spokesperson said in the statement issued Wednesday morning. Saudi and Egyptian news reports are also saying that the Egyptian president will hold talks with Saudi King Salman about Egyptian-Saudi relations as well as the latest developments in the region. Several other leaders are also attending the finale of the military exercise, including Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sherif, Jordanian King Abdullah II, and Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir. source:Ahram Online
