Egypt delays parliamentary vote on deploying troops to Saudi Arabia

A parliamentary session expected to authorise Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia has been postponed.

Debates that began after the Sisi administration declared its readiness to provide military backing to Riyadh were prolonged due to lawmakers’ requests to take the floor and questions regarding the details of the plan.

Speaking to Reuters, two parliamentarians reported that discussions starting on Sunday, 18 October, would continue on Monday. Personally calling for the extraordinary sitting, Sisi intends to contribute to the defence of the allied country should Saudi Arabia make a request.

Requests to speak reach three hundred in closed session

Lawmaker Ibrahim Khulaif and parliament member Maha Abdel Nasser told AFP that the session was extended to allow all deputies to voice their views. Both parliamentarians stated that concrete details regarding the operational format and the content of the military assistance Egypt would provide have not yet been addressed.

According to information cited by the Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper from parliamentary sources, around 300 parliamentarians asked to speak during the closed-door session to learn the specifics of the military measure and to share their assessments.

Parliament Speaker Hesham Badawi announced that three or more sessions would be held to provide comprehensive explanations and to hear every deputy waiting to speak. According to the report, three lawmakers expressed reservations about the move, arguing that diplomatic channels should be pursued instead of military action.

Defence Council approves move, parliamentary mandate awaited

Prior to the discussions in parliament, the National Defence Council met under Sisi’s chairmanship and approved the provision of “all necessary and possible support” to safeguard Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity, security, and Islam’s holy sites. This decision does not constitute an immediate troop deployment, as parliamentary authorization is required to complete the legal process.

Lawmaker Mostafa Bakry reported that the council had approved the dispatch of troops to Saudi Arabia as well as the defensive mission these units would execute.

Stressing that Saudi Arabia is regarded as an integral part of Egyptian national security, Bakry assessed that “any threat to its security and stability is a threat to us.”

President Sisi adopted a similar line in a statement on Saturday, saying: “Egypt is ready to take whatever measures Saudi Arabia may request to defend its security and sovereignty.”

Regional tensions and claims of a defence pact

The military preparations in Cairo coincide with renewed activity along the front lines in Yemen and circulating claims that the Mecca Defence Pact among Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Türkiye has been activated.

The Islamabad administration rejected claims that Pakistani warplanes had targeted Yemen; however, thousands of Pakistani soldiers are stationed on Saudi territory. Among the claims, it is also alleged that Türkiye has dispatched a significant amount of equipment and personnel for use in operations in Yemen.

The Riyadh government has maintained military operations and a blockade against Yemen for more than a decade. Following an intensification of Saudi air operations in July, the Yemeni Armed Forces escalated their retaliatory missile and drone strikes against Saudi bases, airports, and energy infrastructure.

Yemeni forces down Saudi attack helicopter

The Ansarullah-led Yemeni Armed Forces announced on Sunday that they had downed an AH-6i Saudi attack helicopter near the Najran region using a domestically produced surface-to-air missile, releasing video footage of the incident.

The Saudi-led military coalition confirmed that all crew members aboard the helicopter, which was targeted on grounds of conducting “hostile activity”, had died.

Having previously struck the western Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, Saudi warplanes have carried out more than 2,500 strikes since July, according to figures shared by Yemeni military officials.

Dozens of civilians have been killed in these operations, while the Yemeni Armed Forces continue to target Saudi Arabia’s strategic energy fields and transport hubs using loitering munitions and missiles.