Meanwhile, Bishop Marqus of Shubrā al-Khaymah, the chairman of the Coptic Orthodox Church’s Media Committee, said he was selected to be a member of the unofficial delegation visiting Saudi Arabia in an attempt to defuse tension after protesters’ attacks on the Saudi embassy in Cairo over the imprisonment of an Egyptian on Saudi lands.

“The visit is a landmark one for a Christian man of religion,” said Bishop Marqus.

Also participating in the delegation is Dr. Safwat al-Bayyādī, the head of the Coptic Evangelical Church, who termed the visit as “historic one that aims to emphasize deep-rooted ties binding Egypt and Saudi Arabia. [Ahmad al-Sa’dāwī, al-Shurūq al-Jadīd, May 3, p. 3] Read text in Arabic