At that time—on 17 January 1957—King Saud joined Gamal Abdel Nasser, King Hussein, and Shukri al‑Quwatli in Cairo. This meeting became known as the Four‑Leaders Conference. Discussions focused on persuading the Americans to pressure Israel to withdraw behind the armistice lines and to evacuate Sharm al‑Shaykh at the Gulf of Aqaba.
Talks were also held regarding the Eisenhower Doctrine, announced by the U.S. President in Congress on 5 January, as well as the issue of communist influence in the region. The participants concluded their meetings on the 19th by signing a ten‑year agreement providing for solidarity in pursuit of comprehensive liberation.
Practically, this agreement aimed to have Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Syria contribute to the financial obligations borne by the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as a result of the policy of cooperation and solidarity in strengthening the Arab entity and its independence. The total amount was twelve and a half million Egyptian pounds, or its equivalent, referred to as “the Arab Commitments.”
Under the agreement:
- Syria would pay 2.5 million
- Saudi Arabia 5 million
- Egypt 5 million
This was intended to free Jordan from the constraints of British financial obligations.
It is worth noting that Saudi Arabia alone fulfilled its commitments in 1957, but later halted payments after Jordan entered the Arab Union alongside Iraq in March 1958, which automatically rendered the Arab Solidarity Agreement void.