Egypt’s parliament has authorised President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to take necessary measures to support Saudi Arabia, as escalating Houthi attacks raise security concerns across the region.
According to state media, the House of Representatives approved the move after Sisi sought parliamentary backing last week to assist Egypt’s Gulf ally if Riyadh requests support against the Houthis. The group’s advances have also raised concerns over the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime passage connecting Red Sea shipping routes to Egypt’s Suez Canal.
Egypt has repeatedly condemned Iranian attacks on Gulf states but has not publicly participated in direct military operations against the Houthis. Cairo has also not joined the mutual defence agreement involving Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye, signed in August.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said earlier this month that the country’s possible membership in the agreement remained under serious consideration.
As the most populous country in the Arab world, Egypt possesses one of the region’s largest military forces. It joined the Saudi-led coalition during an earlier phase of Yemen’s conflict in March 2015, primarily contributing naval forces to protect shipping routes in the Red Sea while also pledging air support. Egypt additionally deployed around 800 ground troops, although its direct role in combat remained limited.
Egypt has a history of military involvement in Yemen, having conducted an expensive intervention during the 1960s. Since the 1991 Gulf War, however, it has avoided large-scale overseas ground deployments.
Saudi Arabia remains a key political and financial partner for Cairo, providing billions of dollars in assistance, central bank deposits and energy supplies during Sisi’s presidency.
Meanwhile, clashes between the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Houthi movement, which controls the capital, Sanaa, have intensified in recent weeks. The conflict has emerged as another volatile front amid the wider US-Israeli war involving Iran.
Houthi attacks targeting Riyadh’s international airport and Saudi Aramco, the kingdom’s state-owned oil company, have disrupted air travel and oil exports. Humanitarian organisations have also warned that conditions in Yemen are deteriorating further, with the country already facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Abdelatty and Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad visited Riyadh to deliver a message from Sisi to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Egyptian president reportedly indicated that Cairo’s support would focus on defending Saudi territory and borders rather than launching attacks inside Yemen.
Following the visit, Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s position that diplomatic efforts should explore every possible opportunity to end the conflict in Yemen.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had earlier visited Sisi in Cairo on September 15, where the two leaders discussed regional security and maritime navigation in the Red Sea following renewed fighting in Yemen.
