Egypt authorizes military support for Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks

Egypt's House of Representatives authorized the deployment of military support to Saudi Arabia on 26 October, following a formal request from President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The parliament passed the measure with a two-thirds majority after three confidential sessions and two postponements of the vote. The parliamentary statement authorized Sisi "to take the necessary measures to support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," though the exact nature of the assistance was not specified. Egypt possesses the Arab world's largest military, with hundreds of thousands of active personnel and air defence systems supplied by the United States, China, France and Russia. One lawmaker, Medhat Rekaby al-Mansourawy, told AFP that discussions had remained "surface-level without details," though lawmakers were assured the mission would be defensive. The Social Democratic Party, which holds 11 seats, abstained from the vote and demanded clearer information about the mission's objectives, duration and potential risks to Egyptian soldiers. Sisi stated that Egypt's role would be to "defend Saudi territory, and does not include an attack on Yemen," emphasizing that a diplomatic solution remained the priority. This move follows weeks of sustained Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia after a years-long truce broke down in the summer amid the wider regional conflict.