The home favourite triumphed 11-6, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6 in 38 minutes on the glass court at Abu Tig Marina. 

King started the better but El Welily got going in the middle of the first game and won seven of the last nine points.

The second game followed the same pattern only this time it was King, the world number five, who won it.

El Welily then stepped it up a notch in the third and she took the match away from her opponent thereafter. 

The pair had met 15 times on the Professional Squash World Tour, with El Welily having won on 11 occasions. 

King had won four of the last six, however, including the finals of the Hong Kong Open and Cleveland Classic in 2018.

"I am definitely pleased to be into the semis here in El Gouna," El Welily said.

"Playing Joelle has not been easy for me lately but to come out with a 3-1 win is definitely something that makes me pleased."

Standing between El Welily and a place in the final is 13th-seeded American Amanda Sobhy, who came from 2-0 down to win a five-game thriller against third-seeded Egyptian Nour El Tayeb 3-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-6. 

It was the fourth straight meeting to go to five games, with El Tayeb having won two of the past three. 

Sobhy was the victor this time, however, in the latest chapter of the burgeoning rivalry between the pair.

In the men's event, top seed and world number one Ali Farag of Egypt secured his place in the last four with an 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 win over New Zealand's Paul Coll. 

"Paul is always tough to play against," said Farag, the husband of El Tayeb.

"Even if it is in three, they are always 11-8 or 11-9, so it is never easy.

"Paul is never going to give you cheap points, so you have to earn every single point and that is not easy when you play against someone like this.

"However, I think I had my tactics sorted and I tried to make sure I did not get into a physical battle with him, so I am glad to be through in three."

Next up for Farag is fellow Egyptian Tarek Momen, the third seed, after he defeated Germany's Simon Rösner 11-5, 11-4, 7-11, 11-3.

Action is due to continue tomorrow with the remaining four quarter-finals across the men's and women's events.

The semi-finals are scheduled for Thursday (April 25).