CAIRO, Egypt – Tensions between Egypt and Saudi Arabia have once again erupted, with pro-regime media figures in both countries launching an unprecedented wave of attacks targeting not only ministers but also the heads of state—President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Though relations have long been marked by quiet resentment and transactional pragmatism, the latest flare-up has turned openly hostile. What began as a social media spat over an Egyptian minister’s comments escalated into a full-blown digital offensive, complete with calls for regime change and speculation over el-Sisi’s downfall in 2026.
The tipping point came when Egypt’s Transport Minister Kamel el-Wazir, under fire for a deadly crash that killed 19 female laborers, mocked Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure spending. In response, Saudi officials and media allies hit back, with Turki al-Sheikh—a top adviser to bin Salman—ridiculing el-Wazir’s language blunders and competence.
Fueling the storm, prominent Saudi journalist Qenan al-Ghamdi predicted that el-Sisi would end up in prison once his term ends, dismissing Egypt’s new capital project as a corrupt extravagance. In retaliation, Egyptian commentator Sameh Abu al-Aaryes—a known regime loyalist—called for a coup within the Saudi royal family to remove bin Salman.
The insults, strikingly personal and delivered by state-aligned voices, were deemed too provocative to be accidental. Analysts say such statements are unlikely to have been made without at least tacit approval from intelligence services in both countries. This mutual escalation triggered swift interventions from senior officials.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati publicly rebuked what he described as “transient powers” trying to dominate the region—an unmistakable reference to Saudi Arabia. Hours later, a diplomatic call between Ati and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan sought to cool tensions, with both sides affirming their “historic ties.”
However, the rift runs deeper than rhetorical skirmishes.
End of the blank cheque era
Saudi frustration over el-Sisi’s relentless demands for financial support is central to the feud. Since the 2013 coup that brought him to power, Egypt has received over $92 billion in Gulf aid—$64 billion from Saudi Arabia alone. But Riyadh has gradually shifted away from open-ended grants to strategic investments and asset acquisitions in Egypt.
The “rice for the general”—a Gulf nickname for Egyptian aid—has effectively dried up. The message from Riyadh is clear: Egypt must reform and deliver, or face a future without blank checks. In a July 2025 report, the Middle East Institute emphasized that while Saudi Arabia won’t let Egypt collapse, “the policy of unconditional support has come to an end.”
Another major sticking point is Egypt’s delayed transfer of the Tiran and Sanafir islands—ceded to Saudi Arabia in 2018 but still not formally handed over. Cairo is reportedly holding out for greater compensation amid U.S. and Israeli interest in using the islands for strategic military purposes.
The transfer has been bogged down by domestic lawsuits, regional sensitivities, and speculation that Washington intends to build a base on the islands. Egyptian officials have opposed any such move, with Foreign Minister Ati warning against foreign military presence in the Red Sea—a key national security concern for Egypt, which sees itself as the Suez Canal’s guardian.
Satellite imagery published by The New York Times in June 2025 showed early signs of U.S. base construction. While the U.S. says the base would help secure shipping lanes and combat arms smuggling to Gaza and Lebanon, Egyptian officials fear the project undermines their sovereignty and diminishes Cairo’s regional clout.
A rivalry for regional leadership
At the heart of the dispute lies a broader competition for regional leadership. While Egypt’s traditional role as Arab world leader has faded due to economic decline and authoritarian drift, Saudi Arabia has aggressively positioned itself as the region’s new power broker—including on the Palestinian issue.
Israeli and American sources say Riyadh is increasingly involved in ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, potentially sidelining Egypt and Qatar. As Israel’s war in Gaza shows signs of de-escalation, Saudi Arabia appears poised to link its support for peace to broader normalization deals under the Abraham Accords.
Veteran Egyptian journalist Hafez al-Mirazi described the souring ties as a result of diverging geopolitical visions and financial expectations. He noted that recent online commentary would make one forget Saudi Arabia once backed el-Sisi’s rise—and make it seem as if it were Qatar, not Riyadh, that stood by Cairo in 2013.
This isn’t the first time digital loyalist networks on both sides have traded barbs with unofficial backing. But this time, the attacks were unusually direct—and unusually personal.
In early 2023, an Egyptian columnist’s slur calling Saudis “barefoot nomads” sparked a furious backlash and was swiftly deleted. Other flare-ups that year included high-profile figures like Mohamed el-Baz, a pro-regime Egyptian commentator, launching attacks on Saudi policy via livestreams.
In return, Saudi academics and writers such as Khaled al-Dakhil criticized the Egyptian military’s economic dominance, questioning the sustainability of el-Sisi’s governance model.
These cycles of tension reflect deeper concerns: Cairo is seen as demanding too much while offering too little in return, and Riyadh views Egypt’s delays and dithering—on military involvement, investment reform, and territorial transfers—as signs of unreliability.
What’s Next?
While the July 3 phone call between foreign ministers signaled a desire to dial down the confrontation, underlying issues remain unresolved. Egypt’s refusal to fully surrender Tiran and Sanafir, Saudi Arabia’s pivot toward conditional investment, and diverging roles in regional diplomacy all point to a growing strategic split.
Even as both countries publicly reaffirm their “fraternal ties,” analysts say the media campaigns are part of a new, more public way of applying pressure—subtle messages sent through loyalist surrogates, aired on state-linked platforms, and amplified by online armies.
Saudi Arabia no longer appears content to bankroll Egypt without returns. Egypt, for its part, resents Riyadh’s assertiveness and fears being cast aside in a new Middle Eastern order.
The alliance, once held together by shared enemies and generous petrodollars, now faces its toughest test yet.