Egypt has offered defensive military support to Saudi Arabia in its fight against the Houthi militia in Yemen, with analysts now speculating about what that would entail. It follows a meeting on 18 October of Egypt’s National Defence Council, at which the decision was made to defend Cairo’s Gulf ally in the face of threats, and to help protect Islamic holy sites.
The council, chaired by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, said it understood the link between Egyptian and Saudi security. At a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy, he said he was grateful to the Gulf states for backing Egypt after the 2013 uprising against Muslim Brotherhood rule. “Egypt will not allow the security of Saudi Arabia to be threatened,” he said. “This is why I requested that parliament convene to authorise this support.” A day earlier, al-Sisi asked Egypt’s parliament to authorise the deployment of defensive aid. The Egyptian constitution states that parliament must approve the dispatch of troops or military support outside national borders.
The nature of the assistance will likely be decided by Riyadh, which will highlight the areas it thinks Egypt could complement its defence capabilities. Military experts in Cairo expect this to include air defence systems and fighter jet formations, along with any crews needed for their operation.
Longstanding bonds
Along with other founding members of the Arab League, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are bound by a joint Arab defence agreement from 1950. The pair also have a bilateral defence treaty from 1955, which states that an attack on one will be considered an attack on both. Offering to help Saudi Arabia is also a form of self-defence, says General Nasr Salem, Egypt’s former reconnaissance commander. “Egypt cannot wait until security threats become more dangerous.”
Speaking to Al Majalla, he said attacks by the Houthi militia were targeting sensitive Saudi sites, including infrastructure, energy facilities and airports, and also expressed fears that the holy sites may be hit—a prospect that he felt should mean every Muslim wants to defend Saudi Arabia. “The message is clear: we cannot accept the threatening of Saudi Arabia, he said. “They will not fight alone."
Just a month ago, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Cairo and met President al-Sisi to discuss regional developments, particularly regarding the Houthis' attempt to control Red Sea islands from which they could threaten navigation in the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Saudi Arabia and Egypt share an interest in free navigation in the Red Sea; Riyadh needs to export its oil, and Cairo needs dollar revenue from Suez Canal transit fees.
Supporting Saudi Arabia militarily is a big move for Egypt, which is normally reluctant to deploy its troops abroad, join military alliances, or get entangled in foreign wars. When the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was inked between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan in August, Egypt declined to join, despite having been part of talks leading to the alliance’s formation. This reluctance to get involved in foreign fights stems from painful lessons Egypt learned in its modern history, such as its foray into Yemen in the early 1960s. At the time, President Gamal Abdel Nasser deployed more than 70,000 troops to back Yemen’s new republic, seeking to spread pan-Arabism across the region, but it ended in a costly withdrawal.
