From approval to abstention: How Egyptian parties stand on Saudi military mandate

The House of Representatives held two important sessions on Sunday and Monday of this week regarding the request from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for parliamentary authorization to send military forces to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to participate in its defense. Despite the House convening in urgent sessions over the two days, no official decision was issued—whether of approval or rejection—regarding the President’s request.

During Monday’s session, the House of Representatives decided to continue the secret session designated for discussing the authorization of the President to send armed forces to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia next Monday to vote on the decision.

Ahead of the anticipated session next week, what are the positions of political parties and MPs regarding this request?

Political party positions

Several political parties issued statements defining their positions regarding the President’s request:

• Al-Adl (Justice) Party: The party’s political bureau released a statement revealing its decision to authorize its parliamentary bloc to vote in favor of the President’s request regarding sending armed forces outside the state’s borders.
• Wafd Party: Issued a statement confirming its approval to authorize the President to take all necessary measures to support and defend the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in light of current regional developments.
• Egyptian Social Democratic Party: The political bureau directed its parliamentary bloc to abstain from voting on the decision to authorize the deployment of forces to support Saudi Arabia, citing considerations related to Egyptian national security, economic costs, and the potential risks of regional escalation.
• Al-Nour Party: Galal Morra, First Deputy Head of Al-Nour Party, confirmed in an official statement that Egyptian national security extends to its Arab surroundings and that the stability of Arab nations is a fundamental pillar of Egypt’s security. He noted that recent developments in the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab demonstrate how closely regional security is linked to Egypt’s strategic and economic interests, stressing the necessity of defensive coordination and Egyptian support for Saudi Arabia whenever needed based on shared responsibility for regional stability.

Positions of individual MPs

During the parliamentary sessions on the matter, some MPs expressed rejection of the authorization while others abstained:

• MP Maha Abdel Nasser: Announced her rejection of the authorization and called for a diplomatic solution, asserting that the proposed mandate presented to Parliament is open-ended and ambiguous, and that she refuses to grant an open mandate.
• MP Mohamed Abdel Alim Dawood (Wafd Party), MP Mahmoud Sami (Egyptian Social Democratic Party), and MP Diaa El-Din Dawood: Expressed reservations regarding the decision.

Finalizing the decision

The House of Representatives will hold a session next Monday, during which it is expected to finalize its decision regarding the authorization to send armed forces to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The vote will be conducted by roll call, and approval requires a two-thirds majority of members.

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