Egypt's Lawmakers Approve Military Defense Role for Saudi Arabia

Egypt's parliament voted Monday to let the military help defend Saudi Arabia if Riyadh requests it, a decision that could pull Cairo into the fight over Red Sea shipping lanes and oil exports. Egypt has not joined the Mecca mutual defense pact signed in August by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey; Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said this month that membership in that pact remains "under serious consideration."

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi asked parliament last week to approve the measure. Saudi Arabia provides Cairo with billions of dollars in aid, central bank deposits, and energy supplies. Houthi attacks have struck Riyadh's international airport and Saudi Aramco facilities, disrupting flights and oil exports.

Egypt joined the Saudi-led coalition in March 2015 as a naval partner, sending warships to secure Red Sea shipping lanes and pledging air support. It also deployed about 800 ground troops but played a limited combat role in Yemen. Egypt's last large-scale foreign ground deployment came during the 1991 Gulf War, after a costly military intervention in Yemen in the 1960s.

Foreign Minister Abdelatty and intelligence chief Hassan Rashad traveled to Riyadh last Wednesday to deliver Sisi's letter to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Sisi said Egypt's support would be limited to defending Saudi territory and borders rather than attacking Yemen. Abdelatty said Cairo advocates exploring "every opportunity" to resolve the Yemen conflict diplomatically.

The Saudi crown prince visited Sisi in Cairo on September 15 to discuss security and navigation in the Red Sea after fighting in Yemen reignited. Aid agencies have warned of worsening conditions in Yemen, which the source describes as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.