As reported by Egypt Independent, a physical altercation allegedly took place between Al-Ahram’s chairman of the board, Ahmed al-Sayyed al-Naggar and Saudi Ambassador, Ahmed Qattan.
According to reports, the two began arguing over Saudi Arabia’s role in Syria and Yemen. The political argument became more heated until the pair “
fought and threw water at each other.”
Though initially reports of the dispute were denied, controversial journalist Mostafa Bakry claimed during his Sada el-Balad show, to have been present during the fight. Early last year Bakry stated on television that Americans would be “
slaughtered in their homes” if any attempt on el-Sisi’s life was made by the U.S.
The day after the purported brawl Qattan traveled to London on a “private work mission”, without comment on the incident. Allegedly, two Al-Ahram reporters were banned from a conference in Riyadh.
While officially Egypt and Saudi Arabia have "similar" stances on Syria, there is a difference in the way the two countries speak about the civil war and what steps should be taken to end it and its associated diaspora.