Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has called an emergency parliamentary session to consider authorising military assistance if Riyadh requests it. However, lawmakers postponed further discussions until Monday, according to two parliamentarians and local media reports.
The move could draw Egypt more directly into the expanding conflict linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has destabilised the region and disrupted global energy markets.
Fighting between the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, has intensified in recent weeks.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said he had discussed regional developments and the need for de-escalation with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, during a telephone call.
Houthis intensify attacks on Saudi Arabia
The Houthis have recently targeted Riyadh’s international airport and Saudi Aramco, the kingdom’s state-owned oil company, amid renewed fighting with Saudi-backed forces.
Their advances have also raised concerns about the security of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic shipping route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
“Egypt will provide Saudi Arabia with all necessary and possible forms of support to defend its security and stability, protect its resources, territorial integrity and Islamic holy sites,” the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.
The announcement followed a meeting of Egypt’s National Defence Council chaired by Sisi and attended by the parliamentary speaker, prime minister and army chief.
In a speech on Saturday, Sisi said Egypt would act in accordance with guidance from Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The crown prince visited Sisi on September 15, after fighting in Yemen reignited.
Any Egyptian military involvement could expose the country to retaliatory attacks by the Houthis, whose missile and drone capabilities have made them a significant regional military force.
Arab countries, particularly Gulf states hosting US military bases, have faced repeated attacks by Iran and allied groups, including the Houthis and pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, during the conflict.
Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta was also targeted in a drone attack in July. No group claimed responsibility, and Egypt did not publicly identify those responsible. The government said it was taking measures to protect national security.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia strengthen cooperation
Egypt and Saudi Arabia are close strategic and economic partners. Saudi Arabia and other wealthy Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, provided Egypt with billions of dollars in aid, central bank deposits and investments after the military ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Sisi became president the following year.
Egypt previously joined the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the internationally recognised government against the Houthis, although Cairo played a limited combat role in the conflict.
Saudi Arabia has also approached regional allies and Pakistan after seeking US President Donald Trump’s assistance against the Houthis. According to sources cited by Reuters last month, Trump did not agree to launch US strikes, although Washington offered targeting assistance and intelligence-sharing.
Meanwhile, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman visited Abu Dhabi on Sunday and met UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Discussions focused on regional security, according to the Emirati state news agency.
The meeting followed a visit to Riyadh last month by UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It was the first trip by a senior Emirati official to Saudi Arabia since a major rift emerged between the two Gulf powers last year.
