Saudi Arabia and Egypt will build bridge over Red Sea

Agreement has been reached with Egypt to build a bridge over the Red Sea connecting the two countries.

Saudi King Salman made the announcement in televised comments on Friday - the second day of his visit to Cairo - after meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and before representatives of the two countries began signing investment deals.

"I agreed with my brother, his Excellency President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, to build a bridge connecting the two countries," Salman said.

"This historic step to connect the two continents, Africa and Asia, is a qualitative transformation that will increase trade between the two continents to unprecedented levels."

It was not mentioned where the bridge would be built, but at the closest point - Nabq, just north of Sharm el-Sheikh, in Egypt and Ras Alsheikh Hamid in Saudi Arabia - the two countries are 16km apart.

The plan to build a joint bridge over the Red Sea has been in the pipeline for several years.

Sisi, who minutes before had presented the king with the ceremonial Nile Collar, suggested the name "King Salman bin Abdel Aziz Bridge".