Egyptian President Sisi seeks Parliament's approval for possible Saudi military support

Egyptian President Sisi seeks Parliament's approval for possible Saudi military support - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. (Photo: X/ Abdelfattah Elsisi)

The Egyptian President also sought to distinguish the proposed assistance from participation in an offensive, saying Egypt's intention would be to protect Saudi Arabia rather than attack another country.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi wants the country’s parliament to give him the authority to approve military assistance to Saudi Arabia if the kingdom asks Cairo to help defend it against attacks.

The proposal would allow Egypt to respond to a possible Saudi request, but the Egyptian head of state has not announced plans to send troops or confirmed that Riyadh has sought military support from Cairo.

“I know that this matter requires the approval of the Egyptian parliament, and I hope that parliament will convene in an emergency session to give us this authorisation, if it is requested of us,” El-Sisi said on Saturday while addressing graduates at the Egyptian Military Academy.

The Egyptian President also sought to distinguish the proposed assistance from participation in an offensive, saying Egypt's intention would be to protect Saudi Arabia rather than attack another country.

“I am not speaking in order for us to fight anyone or attack anyone. I am speaking only for defence,” he said.

Egypt's parliament subsequently announced that it would hold a plenary session on Sunday, October 18, following the president's request, although the announcement did not specify the session's agenda.

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The initiative comes as Saudi Arabia faces repeated attacks by Yemen's Houthi movement, which has targeted important infrastructure, including Riyadh's international airport and facilities belonging to state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco.

The attacks have coincided with renewed fighting between the Houthis and forces loyal to Yemen's internationally recognised government, which receives Saudi backing. The escalation has added pressure on Riyadh as it seeks to protect its territory and strategic infrastructure.

For Egypt, the security of Saudi Arabia also has implications beyond its relationship with the kingdom. Cairo depends heavily on revenue from the Suez Canal, making the safety of shipping through the Red Sea an important economic concern.

The latest appeal comes against a backdrop of wider regional security concerns, including the threat to maritime routes near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia have cooperated militarily in the past, with Egypt joining the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government against the Houthis.