Egyptian Parliament Formally Approves Military Assistance for Saudi Arabia; President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi Declares That Cairo Will Take Every Necessary Measure to Safeguard Riyadh’s Defense
CAIRO: The Egyptian Parliament has officially approved a resolution granting the approval for military support to Saudi Arabia after the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi directly requested the support after the region’s security developments worsened.
The parliamentary approval comes after President El-Sisi made strong assurances during a ceremony in Cairo to distribute certificates at the Egyptian Military Academy that Egypt will do everything possible to protect Saudi Arabia, according to international news agencies.
The following are the highlights of the approval of military aid to Saudi Arabia by the Egyptian Congress.
If the security of Saudi Arabia is threatened or endangered, Cairo will not be a silent bystander, President El-Sisi had said earlier, adding that any military move or aid that it is called upon to send is purely defensive.
Emergency Parliamentary Session: An emergency session of the Egyptian parliament was called at the President’s request to look at possible defense cooperation. Egypt’s National Defense Council, headed by President El-Sisi, had already given formal approval to the deployment of troops on defense missions before a parliamentary vote that approved the move.
Strategic alignment is particularly timely given the pressure on regional shipping and trade routes, since the beginning of the Houthis’ attacks on commercial vessels in 2023, the Suez Canal has reported losses of some $11 billion in revenues, which has led regional powers to carefully watch the complex security dynamics.