Sisi asks Egyptian parliament to authorise defence of Saudi Arabia if requested

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said on Saturday that Egypt would take any measures necessary to protect and defend Saudi Arabia if requested by the kingdom. He asked parliament to hold an emergency session to grant authorisation for such action. The House of Representatives scheduled a plenary sitting for Sunday at 1 pm.

Sisi spoke at a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy in the New Administrative Capital. He said Egypt would act in accordance with the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He emphasised that the measures would be defensive only: “I am not speaking in order for us to fight anyone or attack anyone. I am speaking only for defence.”

The statement follows renewed Houthi attacks on Saudi territory and shipping in the Red Sea. Sisi had earlier described the security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states as an integral part of Egypt’s national security. He met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Cairo in September to discuss regional security and navigation. On Thursday he had already rejected any threat to Saudi borders or to Red Sea shipping lanes.

Parliament’s rapid response indicates the request is being treated as a formal matter requiring legislative approval before any operational commitment. Sisi also used the occasion to state that his current term ends in 2030 and that the constitution would not be amended to extend it. He said the period until then would be used to prepare a new generation of leaders.

The remarks align Egypt publicly with Saudi Arabia at a moment of heightened Houthi activity against the kingdom. Egypt’s military and naval capacity in the Red Sea and its historical role in Arab security arrangements give the statement practical weight, even while the precise form of any assistance remains subject to a Saudi request and parliamentary approval.

The emergency session on Sunday will clarify the scope of the authorisation parliament is prepared to grant. The combination of the defence pledge and the reaffirmation of the 2030 term limit places both regional security and domestic political succession on the same public agenda.