Egypt’s parliament delays vote on military support for Saudi Arabia

Egypt’s parliament has postponed a vote on authorising President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to approve a Saudi request for defence assistance. The House of Representatives set October 26 as the new date.

The delay extends debate over Egypt’s possible role in the Yemen conflict, as Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia. The National Defence Council, chaired by el-Sisi, approved the measure on Sunday.

Opposition seeks mission details

The Egyptian Social Democratic Party instructed its lawmakers to abstain. It said parliament had not received sufficient information about the mission’s objectives, duration, cost or risks to Egyptian troops.

The party holds nearly a dozen seats, but two lawmakers said most of its members broadly supported the measure. Egypt’s constitution requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority to send troops abroad on a combat mission.

Houthi attacks and Cairo’s position

The request followed Houthi attacks on Riyadh’s international airport and Saudi Aramco. Saudi authorities said 13 people were killed in the October 10 airport attack.

El-Sisi said Egypt would take “any measure” needed to protect its Gulf allies, while stressing that the mission would be defensive rather than offensive. The Grand Imam of al-Azhar urged Arab and Muslim leaders to mediate and prevent further bloodshed.

Saudi Arabia is an important source of financial support for Egypt’s troubled economy. It is due to deposit $5.3bn into Egypt’s central bank this month, along with $267.39m in interest, while Egypt also relies on remittances from citizens working in Saudi Arabia’s hydrocarbons industry.