Egypt's army chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi traveled to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday for joint military training exercises with the Gulf state, a military source told Al-Ahram's Arabic news website.
The defence minister met with his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, to discuss "means to develop the joint cooperation in the benefit of both countries," Emirati news agency WAM reported on Tuesday.
The UAE, a staunch opponent of the Muslim Brotherhood, has been a strong supporter of Egypt's transitional authorities since the July 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, providing Egypt with almost $7 billion in grants, loans and oil shipments.
Last Sunday, Egypt's military announced a joint plan with leading UAE construction company Arabtec for a $40 billion project to build 1 million housing units in Egypt.
The announcement was accompanied by photos of El-Sisi with Arabtec's managing director Hassan Abdullah Smeik as they discussed the project's details, including where the houses will be built and the time frame for the project's completion.
El-Sisi, a popular figure for many Egyptians, is widely expected to announce his candidacy in presidential elections due to take place this spring.
