Bin Salman visits Opera House, Coptic Cathedral in historic moves

Fatma Lotfi
2 Min Read

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will attend a theatre show named “Turn Yourself In” on Monday at the Cairo Opera House, according to state media.

This came as part of bin Salman’s first official foreign trip since becoming crown prince in June last year. He arrived in Cairo Sunday morning for a three-day visit before he is scheduled to head to the UK on 7 March and then to the US on 19 March, according to a statement from Presidency spokesperson Bassam Rady.

“Turn Yourself In”, a theatrical and improvisatory play directed by Khaled Galal, kicked off nearly three months ago and reached its 100th showing last February. The show stars senior students of the acting department at Artistic Creativity Centre in Cairo. The show tackles issues facing society such as Egyptian quasi smartness and family problems in light of social media and sexual violence towards women.

“Al-Sisi’s invitation of bin Salman stresses that the Egyptian government encourages creative young people in different fields,” Al-Ahram wrote on Sunday.

Meanwhile, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, is set to meet bin Salman tomorrow at Saint Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in the Abbassia district of Cairo, in a historic and first visit since the pope met Saudi Arabia’s King Salman in April 2016, state news agency MENA reported today.

The visit to the cathedral comes among various meetings bin Salman is scheduled to hold with key Egyptian figures, Boulos Halim, spokesperson of the Coptic Orthodox Church, told MENA.

Bin Salman’s visit comes as both countries seek enhanced economic and political ties, following a widespread campaign he launched in November 2016 to “combat corruption.” He has carried out many significant internal reforms, including allowing women to drive and join the military, as well as opening movie theatres and holding mixed musical concerts.

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A journalist in DNE's politics section with more than six years of experience in print and digital journalism, focusing on local political issues, terrorism and human rights. She also writes features on women issues and culture.
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