Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called on parliament on Saturday, October 17, 2026, to convene an emergency session and grant him authorization to take military action in defense of Saudi Arabia, should the kingdom request it. He made the remarks during a graduation ceremony for new cadets at Egypt's Military Academy in Cairo, according to Sky News Arabia and The National.
"I call on parliament to convene an emergency session to authorise us to take action to intervene in defence of Saudi Arabia if we are asked to do so," Sisi said, as reported by The National. He added, "I am not speaking about attacking or waging war; we are only seeking to defend."
What Sisi Is Asking For
Sisi said Egyptian military intervention would require ratification by Egypt's parliament under the country's constitutional rules, and he said he hoped lawmakers would meet urgently to grant that approval, according to Sky News Arabia. He stressed the authorization would only be used if Saudi Arabia itself asked for assistance, and that any Egyptian action would be purely defensive rather than offensive.
According to Sky News Arabia, Sisi described Egyptian and Saudi national security as interconnected, saying harm to one country affects the other. He said Egypt rejected any threat to Saudi territory, Red Sea security, or international shipping lanes, and reaffirmed Cairo's support for protecting Gulf states.
Why Now: Escalating Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia
The appeal comes amid a surge in attacks by Yemen's Houthi movement on Saudi territory since Yemen's civil war resumed in July 2026, The National reported. Saudi Arabia said Houthi forces struck Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on October 11, in what Al Jazeera described as the deadliest assault on the kingdom in more than a decade and the third airport attack that week.
Casualty figures have varied by source and by date of reporting. Al Jazeera, citing Saudi authorities, reported on October 11 that at least 12 people were killed and about 300 injured in the Riyadh airport attack, with victims including Saudi, Bangladeshi, American, Jordanian, Palestinian, Syrian, Sudanese and Egyptian nationals. Khaleej Times put the toll at 13 killed. A later tally covering Houthi strikes across October, attributed by South Korea's SBS to Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki, put the cumulative figure at 17 killed and 333 injured from 20 attacks on the Riyadh airport that month, with a separate strike on Abha International Airport near the Yemeni border killing 3 and injuring 28.
Saudi Arabia attributed the Riyadh airport attack to the Houthis. The National reported that fighting had intensified from July after Houthi claims of a port blockade and territorial advances, and that the group has also struck Yemen's internationally recognized government seat in Aden.
International Reaction to the Airport Attack
The October 11 attack drew swift condemnation. Al Jazeera reported that US President Trump called the strike "terrible" and said Washington was evaluating potential military involvement, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was "deeply shocked" and condemned it as a violation of international law. Egypt, Qatar, Pakistan, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, Syria, India and Malaysia issued formal condemnations, alongside Canada, Australia and Japan, according to the same report.
Egypt-Saudi Ties and Background
Sisi referenced Gulf states' financial and material support for Egypt after 2013, when Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait provided aid including oil, gas, butane and wheat during a period of economic crisis in Egypt, according to Khaleej Times. He cited this history as part of the basis for Cairo's current commitment to Gulf security.
No formal mutual-defense treaty between Egypt and Saudi Arabia was cited in the available reporting.
What Is Known and Not Yet Known
It is established that Sisi publicly requested the emergency parliamentary session on October 17 and that the authorization, if granted, would be conditional on a formal Saudi request. It is not yet established, based on available sourcing, whether Saudi Arabia has made such a request, when Egypt's parliament will convene, or what specific scope of action — troops, air assets, naval deployment or other support — any approved mandate would cover.
- Sisi made the request on October 17, 2026, at a Cairo military academy ceremony.
- Any Egyptian intervention would require parliamentary ratification and a prior Saudi request.
- The call follows a wave of Houthi attacks on Saudi airports since July 2026.
- Casualty tolls from the Houthi strikes vary by source and reporting date.
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