Saudi Interior Ministry delegation and continued meds shortages steal the show on last night’s talk shows: Last night’s talk show coverage honed in on Sunday’s meeting between President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz and his accompanying delegation, with shows also focusing on meds shortages in the local market.
The presidency was quick to acknowledge the fruits of the visit: “The meeting underscored the vital importance of the joint cooperation and intensive coordination between Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the face of the shared security challenges and threats emanating from the current developments in the region,” said an Ittihadeya statement issued following the meeting. The statement singled out “countering terrorist and extremist organizations, transnational organized crime and the surge in cybercrime,” which it described as an “immense challenge that requires concerted efforts.”
“The visit is of great importance given the security situation and current regional developments, which require more coordination and consultation between the two countries,” Gamal Hammam, managing editor of Saudi-based magazine Araa Hawl Al Khaleej, told Faten Abdel Maaboud in a call in to Salaat El Tahrir (watch, runtime: 6:08).
“The region is going through difficult — perhaps unprecedented — times, with many tensions at play. Egypt and Saudi Arabia share a mutual interest in the security and stability of the region, particularly in the Gulf, Palestine, the Horn of Africa, and the Red Sea,” Hammam said. Hammam added that “the situation in the region requires combining efforts, as there are dangers threatening navigation, especially in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa, which calls for top-level security coordination between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.”
ALSO ON THE AIRWAVES- When will the meds shortage end? The meds shortage is expected to end by the close of the month, according to Health Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar in a phone call with Ahmed Moussa on his program Ala Mas’ouleety (watch, runtime: 2:09, 3:29), adding that “over 271 difficult-to-obtain pharma items were supplied to pharmacies last week, including antibiotics, antivirals, and anti-inflammatory drugs, alongside quantities of aspirin and heart medications.”