Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi. Photo: El-Sisi Campaign.

AP – Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi scrambled to avert any damage to ties with Arab Gulf countries after he and his aides were allegedly caught on audiotape mocking his crucial oil-rich allies and discussing how to milk them for billions.

El-Sissi’s rapid-fire phone calls to leaders of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates on Monday reflected the pivotal role that financial aid from those nations — givers of more than $20 billion in the past year alone — plays in sustaining Egypt’s battered economy following four years of instability.

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