Egypt’s parliament is convening on Sunday after President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi requested an emergency session to approve defensive military aid to Saudi Arabia, if Riyadh asks for support in its war with Yemen’s Houthis. The request comes as the Iran-backed armed group continues attacks on Saudi Arabia, including the capital, Riyadh, and its airports and oil facilities. El-Sisi declared that Egypt will “carry out any measure to protect” Saudi Arabia, in a speech on Saturday, but said that he “hopes” the parliament will give him authorisation to proceed.
On Sunday, Egypt said it would provide “all necessary and possible support to Saudi Arabia to defend its safety and stability”. The National Defence Council, chaired by President el-Sisi, said it “stands fully with” Saudi Arabia to defend its resources, territorial integrity and Islamic holy sites. But what would Egyptian assistance look like?
And what capacity does it have to “protect” Saudi Arabia in its war with the Houthis? Saudi Arabia has long been a strategic and economic partner of Egypt, and el-Sisi said in a statement last month that Saudi security is “integral” to Egypt’s security. Political analyst and Gulf studies expert Thomas Bonnie James told Al Jazeera that the Houthi security threat to the kingdom is one of the “converging” pressures that have led to this decision.
The other one, is economics. James suggested that the decision is also important to Cairo, because “millions of Egyptians live and work in Saudi Arabia, which is Egypt’s largest single source of remittances. An Egyptian resident was killed, and others were injured in the attacks on Riyadh’s airport.” He also said that Egypt does not want to be seen as the regional ally that “stood aside while others defended the kingdom,” as Turkiye and Pakistan have made their own pledges after activating the Mecca defence pact signed in August amid the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East.
Hostilities in Yemen continue to escalate. Two air raids by the Saudi-led coalition hit Hodeidah in the southwest on Sunday. Saudi forces also intercepted drones near Riyadh and Eastern provinces.
The capital’s King Khalid international airport has come under attack at least 20 times since fighting flared between the internationally recognised government and the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah – Arabic for Supporters of God. The Saudi-backed forces are fighting the Houthis on several fronts, including Taiz and Marib, and some analysts argue the Houthis are stretched thin after their summer gains. But James told Al Jazeera “that defeating them outright is a tall order”.
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