Poles Apart

Egypt and Saudi Arabia's clash of governing philosophies is accelerating schisms across the Middle East and North Africa

- by KHALED HASSAN

THE MOST TRANSFORMATIVE Middle East developments often arrive unheralded. The Cairo-Riyadh estrangement is one such shift. Whispers of a fundamental dispute have burst into public view, fracturing one of the Middle East and North Africa's most pivotal alliances. This rupture, rooted in a clash of governing philosophies, is accelerating regional fragmentation.

The core tension is a philosophical clash between leaders. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 champions economic diversification and meritocratic reform—a direct challenge to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s model of top-down authority and military-dominated economics.

This divergence crystallized in practical policy. Saudi Arabia grew frustrated with what it perceives as Egypt’s exploitation of Gulf generosity without meaningful reform. Between 2013 and 2019, Riyadh provided Cairo with approximately $25 billion in financial aid—a lifeline President Sisi admitted saved Egypt from “drowning.” By 2023, however, Riyadh had completely shifted to a Saudi Arabia First policy, demanding economic reforms for further support. The contrast is stark: Saudi pursues aggressive privatization while Egypt's military-dominated economy has accumulated a crippling $168 billion in debt.