Egypt Approves Sending Troops to Defend Saudi Arabia as Houthi Attacks Escalate

Cairo, Oct 18 — Egypt's National Defence Council has approved deploying Egyptian military forces to Saudi Arabia on a defensive mission, a major escalation in the regional war now engulfing the Gulf.

The decision came at an urgent council meeting chaired by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at Al Ittihadiya Palace on Sunday morning, attended by the parliamentary speaker, prime minister, defence minister, armed forces chief of staff, intelligence chiefs and the ministers of interior, finance and foreign affairs.

Parliament to Vote in Emergency Session

An emergency session of parliament was scheduled for 1pm Cairo time (10:00 GMT) on Sunday to give the constitutional green light. Under Article 152 of Egypt's constitution, the president cannot send the army on a combat mission abroad without consulting the Defence Council and winning the approval of two-thirds of MPs. The pro-Sisi majority in the House is widely expected to back the request.

News of the deployment was broken on X by MP Mostafa Bakry, a member of the House of Representatives close to the state, who said the council had approved both the deployment and the troops' assigned mission.

The Egyptian presidency's own account of the meeting was more measured: it pledged "all necessary and possible forms of support" to defend Saudi Arabia's security and stability, protect its resources, territorial integrity and Islamic holy sites — but stopped short of explicitly announcing a troop deployment.

Sisi: Defensive Only, at Saudi Request

The move follows a speech by Sisi on Saturday at the Egyptian Military Academy, where he said Egypt was ready to take any measure Saudi Arabia requested to defend its security and sovereignty — but only on a defensive basis and only at the kingdom's request, in line with the wishes of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

"It is inconceivable that we would allow Saudi Arabia, its security or stability to be harmed," Sisi said. "We do not want to fight or attack anyone. We will only defend Saudi Arabia."

Why Now

The decision comes as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis dramatically intensify attacks on the kingdom — including strikes on Riyadh's international airport and the state oil giant Saudi Aramco — amid the wider US-Iran war. Saudi air defences have been intercepting waves of drones and ballistic missiles in recent days, and on Sunday the coalition announced that an AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter had crashed in Najran near the Yemen border, killing two crew members, while the Houthis claimed they had shot down a Saudi Apache in the same area.

The Houthis have warned Cairo against military intervention. Egypt previously joined the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015, but played a limited, largely maritime role.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia are close strategic and economic partners: Riyadh and other Gulf states provided billions in aid, deposits and investments after the 2013 military ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. Cairo has long held that Gulf security is inseparable from its own.

Sources: Reuters; The National; Gulf News; Gulf Today.