Report: Saudi Arabia Opposed Egypt's Inclusion in Mecca Pact

Three Saudi sources tell Middle East Eye that Riyadh, not Cairo, was the party that blocked Egypt's entry into the pact — despite roughly $25bn in Saudi support for Cairo since 2013, citing Egypt's limited backing on Yemen/Houthi and Iran-conflict issues and its closer alignment with the UAE. A former senior adviser to the Saudi monarchy said Egypt "has always been a dependent on us, on the US, and it does not give back, it just takes and takes." The report complicates Turkish FM Fidan's public framing of Egypt as a "natural partner" for the pact's next stage of accession.