Obama, Saudi King Discuss Aid to Syrian Rebels, Egypt Crisis

U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday spoke by phone with Saudi King Abdullah to discuss aid to Syrian opposition forces and to discuss the coup in Egypt, the White House said.

"The President and the King shared their perspectives on the situation in Syria and expressed their strong concerns about the impact of the conflict on the region," a White House statement said.

"The President emphasized the United States' continued commitment to provide support to the Syrian Opposition Coalition and the Supreme Military Council to strengthen the opposition.

"The President and King also exchanged views on recent developments in Egypt. They agreed that the United States and Saudi Arabia have a shared interest in supporting Egypt's stability.

Obama also expressed "serious concern" about the violence in Egypt following the military's ouster of President Mohamed Morsi and underscored the need to return to a democratically elected civilian government, the statement said.

The U.S. administration has refused to divulge exactly what kind of stepped up military aid it is providing to Syrian opposition forces battling President Bashar Assad.

King Abdullah, meanwhile, was the first foreign head of state to congratulate Egypt's interim president Adly Mansour, hours after he was named to replace Morsi.

And on Tuesday, the kingdom pledged $5 billion in assistance to Egypt. The United Arab Emirates, which has cracked down on the Muslim Brotherhood in the past few months, offered Egypt an aid package of $3 billion.

Washington sends around $1.5 billion a year, mainly in military aid, to Egypt.