Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi says Cairo’s relation with Iran is in line with the interests of Persian Gulf, Arab states.

In a Press conference on the second day of his visit to the UAE on Sunday, Beblawi said that Egypt is committed to the security of the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC) countries.

“Any matter that affects the stability of the [P]GCC will directly affect Egyptian national security,” the prime minister said.

“This matter is non-negotiable and [P]GCC security is one of the main support points of Egypt’s security.”


Beblawi’s remarks came after the United Arab Emirates agreed to grant an additional $3.9 billion in aid to Egypt,

According to media reports on Saturday, one billion dollars of the aid will be allocated for meeting the fuel needs of Egypt, while the remainder will be “aimed at improving the living conditions, lives and human development of the Egyptian people through a number of projects.”

The construction of 50,000 homes and 100 schools, as well as health clinics, renewable energy initiatives and 25 wheat silos are among the projects.

In July, Abu Dhabi gave one billion dollars in aid to Egypt to show its support for the Egyptian army’s coup against President Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first democratically elected leader.

The UAE also had previously deposited an additional $2 billion in Egypt’s central bank to be held without interest, in order to prop up Cairo’s currency.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have also pledged nine billion dollars in aid to Egypt.

The head of Egypt’s armed forces, General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced that President Morsi was no longer in office on July 3. The head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly Mahmoud Mansour, was appointed the new interim president.