Egypt will provide Saudi Arabia with "all necessary and possible forms of support" to defend its security and stability, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement on Sunday, as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis intensify their attacks on the world's largest oil exporter — but the parliamentary authorisation President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi requested for possible military help was not completed on Sunday and was carried into Monday. The pledge followed a meeting of Egypt's National Defence Council chaired by Sisi and attended by the parliamentary speaker, the prime minister and the army chief, Reuters reported. No deployment was announced, and no formal Saudi request for Egyptian military help had been announced as of Sunday.
What exactly did Egypt pledge on Sunday?
Solidarity and support, in the presidency's own words, without specifying troops. "Egypt will provide Saudi Arabia with all necessary and possible forms of support to defend its security and stability, protect its resources, territorial integrity and Islamic holy sites," the presidency said, according to Reuters. Al Jazeera reported that the National Defence Council said Egypt "stands fully with" Saudi Arabia, and that Cairo would also intensify diplomatic efforts for de-escalation. The presidency's statement did not mention sending troops or specify the nature of the support, Agence France-Presse reported via South24 Center. A member of parliament, Mostafa Bakry, said on X that the National Defence Council had approved sending troops to Saudi Arabia and determined their defensive mission, South24 reported — a claim that goes beyond the presidency's published statement and is reported here as Bakry's account, not as a confirmed decision.
What did Sisi ask parliament to authorise?
Permission to use the military, one of the region's largest, to help defend Saudi Arabia if the kingdom requests it. Sisi made the request in a speech on Saturday at a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy. "It is inconceivable that we would allow Saudi Arabia, its security or stability to be harmed," he said, according to Reuters. "I'm not talking about fighting anyone or attacking anyone," he said. "We are speaking only about defense," The Business Standard reported. Sisi said Egypt would act in accordance with guidance from Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who visited Sisi on September 15, after fighting in Yemen reignited, Reuters reported. Under Article 152 of Egypt's constitution, sending the armed forces abroad on a combat mission requires consultation with the National Defence Council and approval by two-thirds of the House of Representatives, in an urgent, closed session, AFP reported via South24.
Why was there no vote on Sunday?
Because deliberations ran on. A parliamentary vote had been expected on authorising the request on Sunday, but discussions were due to continue on Monday, two lawmakers and local media reports said, according to Reuters' updated report on Sunday. AFP, reporting through South24, said the House of Representatives postponed the vote until Monday to give members more time to express their views, and that parliament has not yet approved the authorisation. The House held its emergency session in the New Administrative Capital, chaired by Speaker Hisham Badawy, South24 reported. Reports published before the session sat that claimed an approval had already been granted could not be verified against any official announcement, and no approval had been announced by the time of publication.
Why is Egypt making this offer now?
Because Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have escalated sharply since Yemen's truce collapsed and fighting reignited. The Houthis have in recent days attacked Riyadh's international airport and the state oil giant Saudi Aramco, Reuters reported. Coalition military spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said air defences had intercepted two ballistic missiles fired towards Khamis Mushait and three drones over Riyadh and the Eastern Province, and said the Houthis had launched 20 attacks on King Khalid International Airport since October 1, with attacks on Saudi airports killing 19 people and injuring 364, AFP reported via South24 — figures that are the coalition spokesperson's, published here as his account. Egypt has its own stake in the same waterway war: disruption to Red Sea shipping has cut revenues from the Suez Canal, a key source of foreign currency for Cairo, TBS reported, and analysts cited by Al Jazeera said Egypt is an obvious partner for protecting the kingdom and Red Sea shipping because its canal revenue depends on the same traffic. Egypt previously joined the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government against the Houthis, but played a limited combat role, Reuters reported. Egypt has not joined the Mecca mutual-defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan in August, and has said it is studying that agreement, according to reporting cited in The Business Standard's account.
How have the other parties reacted?
The Houthis warned Cairo against involvement, and Yemen's internationally recognised leadership welcomed Egypt's position. Yahya al-Raei, speaker of the Houthi-controlled House of Representatives in Sanaa — a body that is not internationally recognised — sent a letter to his Egyptian counterpart warning that Egyptian military involvement alongside Saudi Arabia "would pose a grave danger to its national security," and urging Cairo to work towards a political solution instead, AFP reported via South24. Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council chairman Rashad al-Alimi praised Egypt's position, saying Cairo's solidarity with Saudi Arabia reflected a joint response to shared threats, South24 reported. The authorisation request remains before parliament: even if it is approved on Monday, the authorisation would not in itself mean that Egyptian troops had begun deploying, South24 noted, and Sisi's offer remains conditional on a Saudi request that had not been announced as of Sunday.
This article is drawn from reporting opened and read for this article: Reuters' October 18, 2026 updated report and October 17, 2026 report, Al Jazeera English's October 18, 2026 report, Agence France-Presse reporting carried by South24 Center on October 18, 2026, and The Business Standard's October 18, 2026 report. Statements by the Egyptian presidency, President Sisi, coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki, lawmaker Mostafa Bakry and Houthi parliament speaker Yahya al-Raei are their own, as reported by those outlets; the airport-attack toll is al-Maliki's account, and Bakry's troop claim goes beyond the presidency's published statement, as noted in the text.
