Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador from Egypt and closed all its missions there following protests over the arrest of an Egyptian human rights lawyer.
Saudi authorities detained Ahmed El-Gizawi earlier this month when he arrived in Saudi Arabia on pilgrimage. He is accused of insulting King Abdullah.
Egyptian protesters have demanded his release. They claim he was held after lodging a complaint over the treatment of Egyptians in Saudi prisons.
The BBC says the Saudi move marks a sharp escalation of the dispute.
Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi contacted the Saudi government on Saturday to try to resolve the issue, the Egyptian Mena news agency reported.
The Saudi closures affect the embassy in Cairo as well as consulates in the cities of Alexandria and Suez.
Mr Gizawi's family says he went to Saudi Arabia to perform a minor pilgrimage.
But Saudi authorities say airport officials found more than 20,000 anti-anxiety pills in his luggage.
They also doubt Mr Gizawi was on a pilgrimage, as he was not wearing white pilgrims' clothes.
