With the sound of a 21-gun salute, the highest military honor, marked by cannon fire at five-second intervals, echoing across the gardens of Al-Ittihadiya Palace, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt welcomed King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain on 17 September for the monarch’s first official visit to Cairo, a trip framed as both a celebration of shared history and an opening to deeper political and economic ties. The royal visit, which began on 16 September, included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain, José Manuel Albares. It was complete with a horse parade, anthems, and ceremonial pageantry, and came just months after Cairo and Madrid elevated their partnership to a “strategic” level, a move announced by Al-Sisi during his own visit to Spain in February. For both leaders, the encounter was less about ceremony than about signaling that Egypt and Spain are positioning themselves as closer allies at a time of turmoil in the Middle East and uncertainty in Europe. Behind closed doors, Al-Sisi and King Felipe discussed trade, investment, tourism, and cultural exchanges, while also pledging to expand cooperation in education and…
