Grand Imam of Al Azhar: Prince Charles is a wise and responsible leader

Prince Charles met Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb during a visit to Cairo, where the pair discussed interfaith dialogue and climate change

Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Egypt’s highest Islamic authority, has called Britain’s Prince Charles a "wise and responsible leader” after the pair met in Cairo on Thursday.

Charles arrived in Egypt with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, last week for the second leg of his Middle East tour, which started with a visit to Jordan.

It was the first time the pair had been to Egypt since 2006. The Middle East tour was their trip overseas since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

They visited some of Egypt’s famous landmarks, including the Pyramids at Giza and Al Azhar Mosque, where they met Dr Al Tayeb.

Charles and Dr Al Tayeb discussed interfaith dialogue and climate change.

After being received by Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and his wife Entissar El Sisi at the presidential palace, Charles and Camilla visited Al Azhar, where they were greeted by a delegation of Muslim and Coptic Christian representatives.

In a Facebook post, Dr Al Tayeb said he was pleased to hold talks with Prince Charles.

During a speech at a newly constructed restaurant overlooking the Giza plateau, the Prince of Wales emphasised the importance of nature in the Abrahamic faiths and urged Egyptian authorities to prioritise sustainability.

On their second day in Egypt, Charles and Camilla attended a sustainability event at the Greek Campus of the American University in Cairo, before travelling to Alexandria to visit the city’s historic library.

They ended their four-day Middle East tour on Friday. Camilla said the tour of Egypt was “absolutely brilliant,” but “too short”.

She reminisced about her previous trip to the country with Charles and said Egypt would always have a special place in her heart.