Secretary of Defense James Mattis is beginning his five-day tour of the Middle East on Friday.
The Department of Defense announced that Mattis will visit Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, and Kuwait.
During his time in Egypt on Saturday, Mattis will meet with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Defense Minister Gen. Sedki Sobhi.
Mattis will then go to Jordan on Sunday, where King Abdullah II will host a conference on combating extremism in West Africa. Attendees of the meeting in Jordan will include representatives from many countries in Africa and Europe.
Mattis will meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Gen. Qamar Bajwa, who serves as Chief of Army Staff, on Monday. His final stop will be in Kuwait Tuesday, where he will meet with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah.
Mattis is well known in the region due to his time as commander of U.S. Central Command, which focuses on the Middle East. Mattis had traveled throughout much of the region then and met with regional and local leaders.