In the face of the Houthis... Egypt's parliament agrees to provide military support to Saudi Arabia

Today, Monday (October 26, 2026), the Egyptian Parliament agreed to provide defensive support to Saudi Arabia to support it in confronting attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis, at the request of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, according to what parliamentarians and local media reported.

The government newspaper Al-Ahram reported that the House of Representatives “agreed to authorize President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to take the necessary measures to support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

At Sisi’s request, Parliament held three secret sessions to discuss the issue of providing defense support to Riyadh, but postponed a vote on the matter twice.

Sisi had asked Parliament last week to authorize him to provide military support to the Kingdom if it requested it, in light of its exposure to almost daily attacks from the Houthis.

It is still unclear what form of defensive support Egypt can provide to Saudi Arabia, given that its army is the largest in the Arab world. In addition to hundreds of thousands of military personnel, the army possesses combat aircraft and advanced air defense systems sourced from the United States, China, France, and Russia.

Al-Sisi confirmed on Wednesday that Cairo’s proposal to provide military support to Riyadh is “to defend Saudi Arabia’s lands and does not include an attack on Yemen.”

He explained in a speech during an event organized by the government entitled “Egypt Forum 2026” that “what is meant is to defend the Kingdom’s lands and borders, and the lands of any other Arab country if Egypt is asked to do so.”

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty said this month that Egypt was “seriously considering” joining the Mecca Agreement.

Since then, Egypt has intensified its diplomatic activity, as Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati held consultations with the “R4” group, which includes Cairo, Riyadh, Islamabad, and Ankara, and is part of the Mecca Defense Agreement.

Abdel Ati said on Monday that he speaks daily to the Iranians as part of efforts aimed at reducing the escalation in the region.