Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said on Wednesday that Cairo was prepared to provide military support to Saudi Arabia to defend its territory and borders, but ruled out participating in offensive operations against Yemen.
The announcement comes amid escalating attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement on Saudi Arabia, raising concerns that the widening regional conflict could draw additional Arab states into direct military confrontation.
Sisi said any Egyptian military involvement would be strictly defensive and limited to protecting Saudi territory. He added that Egypt would extend similar support to other Arab countries requesting assistance to safeguard their security and stability.
His remarks coincided with a high-level Egyptian delegation’s visit to Riyadh, where Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and intelligence chief Hassan Rashad held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, Abdelatty delivered a written message from Sisi to King Salman, reaffirming Cairo’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said the letter expressed Egypt’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for the kingdom amid growing regional tensions.
Regional conflict raises stakes
The prospect of Egyptian military involvement comes as fighting intensifies between the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Houthis, who control the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of northern Yemen.
The escalation has opened another front in the broader Middle East conflict following US and Israeli attacks on Iran in February, which have disrupted energy markets and driven oil prices higher.
Egypt’s parliament on Monday postponed until October 26 a vote on whether to authorise the deployment of Egyptian armed forces to support Saudi Arabia if requested.
Any deployment would represent a significant development in the regional conflict, although Sisi’s remarks suggest Cairo is seeking to distinguish defensive assistance from direct participation in military operations against the Houthis.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia maintain close strategic and economic relations, with Riyadh providing substantial financial assistance and investment to Cairo over the past decade.
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, supplied Egypt with billions of dollars in financial support following the military overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Sisi assumed the presidency the following year.
Egypt previously participated in the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the internationally recognised government against the Houthis, although its direct combat involvement remained limited.
