JEDDAH: Saudi Shoura Council Speaker Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Asheikh will begin his official tour to Egypt on Monday on the invitation of Dr. Ali Abdel Aal Sayyed Ahmed, speaker of the Egyptian House of Representatives. During the visit, the Saudi official will hold talks with his Egyptian counterpart to enhance bilateral ties particularly between the Saudi Shoura Council and the Egyptian House of Representatives. The visit also aims to activate different committees aimed at increasing cooperation in different sectors. Dr. Al-Asheikh will also meet Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Kemal Madbouly, Foreign Minister Sameh Hassan Shoukry, and a number of senior officials. Earlier this month, the Shoura Council speaker received the Arab Parliamentary Union’s (AMU) “Parliamentary Excellence” award in Cairo. It was announced during a meeting of the executive committee of the union at its 24th session chaired by Ahmed Raslan, chairman of the Committee on Arab Affairs. The AMU award is a recognition of Saudi Arabia’s constructive role in the region and its support for the Arab countries in various fields under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Saudi Shoura Council consists of a Speaker and 150 council members, among them scholars, educators, specialists and prominent members of society with expertise in their respective fields, chosen by the king and serving a four-year term. The council convenes its sessions in the capital of Riyadh, as well as in other locations in the Kingdom as the king deems appropriate.