Egypt parliament delays vote on military support to Saudi Arabia

Egypt's parliament on Sunday postponed a vote on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's request to authorise military support for Saudi Arabia, two lawmakers told AFP, with deliberations set to continue on Monday.

The session was convened after Sisi asked lawmakers to approve support for Saudi Arabia's defence if requested by the kingdom, which has come under near-daily attacks from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis since early October.

"The session was extended to give all lawmakers the opportunity to speak and express their views," lawmaker Ibrahim Kholeif told AFP, adding that parliamentarians were mostly in support of the move.

Another member, Maha Abdel Nasser, said proceedings would resume Monday "to allow all lawmakers to be heard".

Egyptian media reported that deliberations would continue into Tuesday.

Both lawmakers said no details were being discussed about what form Egypt's military support for Saudi Arabia could take.

Sisi on Saturday requested parliamentary authorisation to help defend Saudi Arabia "if requested", saying it was "inconceivable" for Cairo to stand by as Saudi Arabia's security and stability are threatened.

The decade-plus war between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's internationally-recognised government reignited in July.

The Houthis seized Yemen's Red Sea coastline in September and have since launched attacks on Saudi Arabia, including state oil giant Aramco and Riyadh's international airport, where 13 people were killed a week ago.

On Saturday, Sisi called for an end to the fighting and said Egypt was not seeking to "confront or attack anyone. We are speaking only about defence".

**Houthi threats to Egypt **

Egypt's constitution requires the approval of both parliament and the National Defence Council -- which includes the leaders of Egypt's security apparatus -- before troops can be deployed on combat missions abroad.

Shortly before the parliamentary session, the council, chaired by Sisi, approved providing Saudi Arabia with "all necessary and available forms of support" to help defend its security, territorial integrity and Islamic holy sites, the presidency said.

Potential military involvement would constitute a break from Egypt's historically conservative foreign policy, which has prioritised protecting its own national security.

For years Cairo has positioned itself as a regional mediator with channels open across conflict lines, including with Hamas, Israel and Iran.

In response to Sisi's call on Saturday, Houthi parliament speaker Yehia Ali al-Rai addressed a letter of warning to his Egyptian counterpart.

"Egypt's slide down this path would pose a grave danger to its own national security and internal stability before anyone else's," he wrote, according to the Houthis' Saba news agency.

Throughout this year, as its Gulf allies have come under attack in the war between Iran and the US, Cairo has repeatedly preached caution.

The Arab world's largest military did not issue a response even when its own Damietta port was struck by an unidentified drone in July.

It has not joined the Mecca defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan in August, according to experts to maintain its strategic autonomy.

But Riyadh is one of Cairo's strongest allies, and a key financial backer to Sisi's administration for over a decade.

Egypt joined the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in 2015, contributing naval and air forces and deploying warships to the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Along with Saudi Arabia, Egypt is hardest hit by disruptions through Bab al-Mandab, the southern gateway to its Suez Canal, revenues from which have not recovered since Houthi attacks began in 2023.

Military expert Samir Farag told *AFP *that Egyptian assistance could take several forms, ranging from intelligence, military advisers, ammunition and spare parts to weapons and, ultimately, troop deployments.