ABU DHABI, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt met Monday to call for a permanent end to the fighting in Gaza, emphasizing that the "two-state solution" remains the only path to lasting peace in the Middle East.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi met in Abu Dhabi against a backdrop of regional tension. According to the UAE's state news agency WAM, the two leaders stressed the urgent need to secure a lasting ceasefire and ensure that humanitarian aid can reach civilians in Gaza without obstacles.
In a statement released by the Egyptian presidency, the leaders warned against further escalation, noting that a wider conflict would have "repercussions for all," and argued that regional stability depends on protecting the "unity and territorial integrity" of Middle Eastern states.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to "peaceful means" as the primary tool for resolving the region's overlapping crises.
Beyond the crisis in Gaza, the two leaders discussed ways to deepen economic ties. Sheikh Mohamed took al-Sisi on a tour of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, an institution at the heart of the UAE's push to become a global tech hub.
The UAE has been a key source of foreign investment for Egypt. In 2024, the UAE announced a landmark 35-billion-U.S.-dollar deal to develop a massive stretch of Egypt's Mediterranean coast, a project that injected foreign currency and helped stabilize the Egyptian pound. ■
