Egypt's parliament voted by a two-thirds majority on Monday to authorise President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to provide military support to Saudi Arabia, a step that raises the possibility of Cairo becoming more directly involved in a conflict that has involved the Gulf and the Red Sea in recent weeks.1,3
A parliamentary statement said the vote authorised Sisi "to take the necessary measures to support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". Al Jazeera, citing a statement shared with Reuters, gave the wording as measures to "undertake necessary" steps to help the kingdom defend itself, should Riyadh request assistance. Sisi had asked parliament last week for the authorisation "if requested". The reports do not say whether Saudi Arabia has made such a request. Egypt's constitution requires approval from two-thirds of legislators before troops can be sent abroad on combat missions.1,3
It was not immediately clear what defensive support Egypt could provide. The country has the Arab world's largest military, with hundreds of thousands of active personnel, fighter jets and complex air defences sourced from countries including the United States, China, France and Russia. Nawaf Obaid, a visiting senior research fellow at King's College London, said Saudi officials wanted reassurances that Egypt would support the kingdom if asked. The vote was Cairo's way of saying "it will be there", he said, but questions remain over what type of assistance Riyadh might request and how Egypt would provide it.1,3
The House held three rare secret meetings on the matter and postponed the vote twice before the ballot. Medhat Rekaby al-Mansourawy, a member of parliament, told AFP that discussions of the potential operation were "surface-level without details", and that lawmakers had received assurances it would be "defensive" in nature.1
The Social Democratic Party, which holds 11 seats in parliament, abstained from the vote. It had requested "specific objectives, clear information" on the mission's scope and duration, and "an accurate assessment of the potential risks to the lives of our soldiers".1
Sisi said on Wednesday that his country's support would be to "defend Saudi territory, and does not include an attack on Yemen". "We are talking about defending the land and borders of the kingdom," he said in a speech, adding that the top priority was a diplomatic solution.1,3
Riyadh is one of Cairo's strongest allies and a key financial backer of Sisi's administration since the former army chief ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013. In a speech on Saturday, Sisi said it was "inconceivable" for Cairo to stand by as Riyadh's security and stability were threatened.1
The Houthi armed group, which controls Yemen's capital, Sanaa, is fighting the Saudi-led coalition that backs the internationally recognised government. Houthi attacks have included strikes on Riyadh's international airport and on facilities belonging to Aramco, Saudi Arabia's state oil company, which have disrupted flights and oil exports. The attacks and a blockade on the kingdom's oil also threaten two of Egypt's largest sources of foreign currency: the Suez Canal and remittances from Egyptians working in Saudi Arabia. Those remittances netted Cairo $12 billion last fiscal year, more than Suez Canal revenues at their record high in 2023.1
Egypt joined a Saudi-led campaign in Yemen in 2015, contributing naval and air forces. Over the past decade, however, Cairo has favoured diplomacy over intervention and has positioned itself as a regional mediator with channels open to Hamas, Israel and Iran. It did not issue a response even when its own Damietta port was struck by an unidentified drone in July. Cairo has not undertaken a large-scale foreign ground deployment since the 1991 Gulf War.1,3
H.A. Hellyer, a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said: "I think the calculus now has changed, not because Egypt's reticence has faded. They themselves see a big risk in what's happening in Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea." He told AFP that "what the Saudis want most of all from Egypt is political support and symbolic presence in Saudi itself. It's standing shoulder to shoulder with Saudi." He expected any Egyptian deployment to remain "limited".1
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty consulted last week with the so-called R4, which includes members of the Meccah defence pact, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey. Cairo has not agreed to join the group. On Monday, Abdelatty said he was "talking daily with the Iranians" to push for regional de-escalation. After visiting Riyadh on Wednesday, he said Cairo continued to favour a diplomatic settlement.1,3
Sisi also met United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Cairo on Monday to discuss regional tensions and peace efforts. According to Egypt's presidency, Guterres praised Cairo's efforts to prevent escalation in the Gulf and said diplomacy could help address disputes over Iran's nuclear programme and shipping. In a post on X the same day, Guterres urged "maximum restraint", warning that further fighting could spiral out of control.3
The reports do not say what specific assistance Egypt would offer, how many personnel or assets might be involved, or how long any deployment would last. Whether Riyadh will make a request under the mandate is also not known.1,3
