Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has called an emergency parliamentary session to authorize him to approve any request for defense aid from Saudi Arabia, should Riyadh request it.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy on Saturday, el-Sissi stressed Cairo’s willingness to support the kingdom.
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Egypt “will implement any measures aimed at protecting” Saudi Arabia “in accordance with the directives of His Majesty King Salman and the directives of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” he said.
“I know that this matter requires the approval of the Egyptian parliament, and I hope that the parliament will meet in an emergency session to give us this authorization, if it is requested,” he said.
“I’m not speaking so we can fight or attack anyone. I’m only speaking to defend ourselves.”
Attacks on Saudi Arabia
The request follows a series of attacks on the kingdom carried out by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, including on airports and oil installations.
Recent Houthi strikes against Saudi Arabia have mainly targeted key infrastructure on the outskirts of the capital, Riyadh, but they appear to be moving closer to the city center.
Houthi attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport earlier this month killed 14 people and injured more than 300. Houthi attacks were also reported at other airports, including Dammam, Abha, Jazan and Najran.
Yemen’s internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government launched a large-scale military campaign against the Houthis this month to reclaim the territories they seized.
El-Sisi had backed Saudi calls for safe and unhindered navigation in the Red Sea during a meeting with the Saudi crown prince, known as MBS, in Cairo last month.
A statement from the Egyptian presidency then specified that “the security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States is an integral part of Egypt’s national security.”
Red Sea Security
The meeting took place just days after the Houthis seized Yemen’s Red Sea coast, gaining significant control over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the southern gateway to the Suez Canal.
Saudi Arabia already has a defense agreement with Pakistan and Turkey, known as the Mecca Defense Alliance, which was signed in August.
Earlier this month, the three countries agreed to activate “deterrence measures” under the deal and quickly deploy forces to the Gulf kingdom to counter attacks by Yemen’s Houthis.
Analysts say Riyadh is seeking help to protect the kingdom and shipping on the Red Sea and that Egypt, whose Suez Canal revenue depends on the same traffic, is an obvious partner.
They say Egypt wants to prevent Iran and its allies from imposing control over the region, particularly over Red Sea maritime traffic, given the direct impact on the Suez Canal.
Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of encouraging Houthi attacks on the kingdom, a claim Tehran rejects. Iran has offered its help to end the conflict between the two sides.
Sissi’s future
Speaking to recruits at the Egyptian Military Academy in the new administrative capital on Saturday, el-Sissi also confirmed that he would not seek to extend his presidency beyond 2030, in line with the Egyptian constitution.
“The period until 2030 will mark the end of my term as state president, if I am still alive,” he said.
He added that his decision is “completely settled” and that there will be “no discussion” about it.
Egypt’s constitution was updated in 2019 to increase term limits from four to six years and to allow El-Sisi to run for another six-year term in 2023. This means his term is set to expire in 2030 and he is not allowed to run again.
He said the Egyptian constitution “would not be touched.”
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