Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives in Egypt

Saudi Arabia‘s crown prince arrived in Egypt as he begins his first official trip overseas since assuming the powerful role last June.

Mohammed bin Salman, 33, was greeted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as he disembarked from the plane on Sunday.

After meeting with Egyptian officials during his three-day visit, Prince Mohammed – known as MBS – will head to the United Kingdom before making a final stop in Washington DC.

His visit comes a day after Egypt’s top court upheld a deal to transfer two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. The agreement was first announced during a visit to Cairo in April 2016 by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, during which he announced a multi-billion-dollar package of investments and soft loans for Egypt.

Following the signing of the deal, widespread protests broke out across Egypt. Opponents of the agreement said it amounted to selling off Egypt’s sovereign powers and that it violated the constitution, which bars the surrender of any territory.

Authorities in Riyadh have taken an active interest in Egyptian politics following the overthrow of president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kuwait have provided billions of dollars in support since Sisi’s power grab.

While expressing support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, Cairo has stopped short of full engagement and has instead settled for a less direct military-support role.