Egypt’s Parliament Approves Military Support for Saudi Arabia

By Staff, Agencies

Egypt’s parliament authorized the military on Monday to provide support to Saudi Arabia, according to lawmakers and local media, raising concerns over Cairo’s potential deeper involvement in the Saudi-led aggression against Yemen.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi requested parliamentary approval last week for Egypt to assist Saudi Arabia if Riyadh sought help confronting Yemen’s Armed Forces, which have opposed the Saudi-led military intervention since it began more than a decade ago.

The request followed a visit to Riyadh last Wednesday by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and General Intelligence Service chief Hassan Rashad, who delivered a message from el-Sisi to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

In the message, el-Sisi stressed that any Egyptian support would be limited to protecting Saudi territory and borders and would not extend to attacks inside Yemen.

Following the visit, Abdelatty said Cairo was calling for all available opportunities to be used to reach a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Mohammed bin Salman also visited Cairo on September 15 for talks with el-Sisi, focusing on security and navigation in the Red Sea following an escalation in Yemen initiated by Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia remains a key political and financial partner for Egypt. Under el-Sisi, Riyadh has provided Cairo with billions of dollars in assistance, deposits at the Central Bank of Egypt and energy supplies.

The close relationship adds an economic dimension to Cairo’s decision as it weighs support for Riyadh against the risks of deeper involvement in the conflict.

Egypt joined the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in March 2015, initially serving primarily as a naval partner. It deployed naval vessels to protect Red Sea shipping lanes and pledged air support. Egypt also sent approximately 800 ground troops, although their combat role remained limited.

The coalition’s military intervention has prolonged the war and contributed to wider regional tensions.

Any expansion of Egypt’s role could further complicate efforts to end the fighting, particularly if its involvement extends beyond the defensive mission outlined by el-Sisi.

Egypt has a longer history of military intervention in Yemen, having deployed forces there during the 1960s in support of republican forces fighting Saudi-backed royalists.

That campaign came at a considerable cost. Since the 1991 Gulf War, Egypt has not undertaken a comparable large-scale deployment of ground forces beyond its borders.