King Salman Bridge new symbol of Arab unity

The announcement that a bridge will be built between Saudi Arabia and Egypt named after Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman is not only a powerful indicator of the growing ties between the two nations but certainly also a symbol of a new road being forged to achieve much-needed Arab unity.
The proposed structure, commendably named after the king by Egyptian President Abdul Fattah El-Sisi, is of international significance because it links the Asian and African continents, opening up huge social and economic opportunities. The project will connect countries of the Gulf to North Africa.
It must be said that various economic and social plans have come to fruition from the hard work officials from the two nations have put into discussions at the Saudi-Egyptian Coordination Council, defying those who believe it was merely a talks shop.
Council members have been holding meetings every week for the past eight months, supervised by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, second deputy premier and defense minister, and Egyptian Prime Minister Sharif Ismail.
It is a fulfillment of the ideals and recommendations of the Cairo Declaration announced last year.
The visit of King Salman and a huge delegation of ministers to Cairo this week cannot be understated. There was real optimism expressed on the city streets, with many Egyptians expressing their love for the Kingdom; with detailed coverage provided by the Egyptian media.
The two sides signed 17 agreements which included the King Salman bin Abdulaziz University project in Sinai, homes as part of the King Salman project for the development of Sinai, and construction at Al-Aini Palace Hospital in Cairo.
There was also the signing of a double taxation avoidance agreement, a project for the peaceful use of atomic energy, maritime transport and ports, housing, and power and electricity projects.
It was clear from the second day of the visit that there was a real convergence on critical political, economic and military issues. King Salman emphasized this point before he signed the agreements, saying that these and other initiatives, particularly the North Thunder military maneuvers, was a message to the West of the emergence of a powerful new Islamic and Arab alliance.