Egypt’s Sisi seeks authorisation for defence assistance to Saudi Arabia

Egyptian president pledges ‘any measure’ to help defend Saudi Arabia ‘if it is requested of us’.

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Cairo, September 15, 2026 [Bandar Algaloud/Saudi Royal Court/Reuters]

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has called for an emergency parliamentary session to authorise him to approve any requests from Saudi Arabia for defence assistance, if Riyadh were to ask.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy on Saturday, el-Sisi emphasised Cairo’s readiness to back the kingdom.

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Egypt will “carry out any measure to protect” Saudi Arabia “in accordance with the directives of His Majesty King Salman and the directives of the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman”, he said.

“I know that this matter requires the approval of the Egyptian parliament, and I hope that parliament will convene in an emergency session to give us this authorisation, if it is requested of us,” he said.

“I am not speaking in order for us to fight anyone or attack anyone. I am speaking only for defence.”

Attacks on Saudi Arabia

The request follows a barrage of attacks on the kingdom from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, including airports and oil facilities.

Recent Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia have mainly targeted key infrastructure on the outskirts of the capital, Riyadh, but they appear to be edging closer to the city centre.

Houthi attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport earlier this month killed 14 people and wounded more than 300. Houthi attacks have also been reported on other airports, including Dammam, Abha, Jazan and Najran.

Yemen’s Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government launched a full-scale military campaign against the Houthis this month to recapture territory seized by them.

El-Sisi had backed Saudi calls for secure and unhindered navigation in the Red Sea in a meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince, known as MBS, in Cairo last month.

A statement from the Egyptian presidency then said that “the security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states is an integral part of Egypt’s national security”.

That meeting came just days after the Houthis seized Yemen’s Red Sea coast, gaining significant control over the Bab al-Mandeb strait, the southern gateway to the Suez Canal.

Saudi Arabia already has a defence pact with Pakistan and Turkiye, known as the Mecca Alliance for Defence, which was signed in August.

Earlier this month, the three countries agreed to activate “deterrence measures” under the pact and rapidly deploy forces to the Gulf kingdom to counter attacks by Yemen’s Houthis.

Analysts say Riyadh is looking for help to protect the kingdom and Red Sea shipping and that Egypt, whose Suez Canal revenue depends on the same traffic, is an obvious partner .

They say Egypt is eager to prevent Iran and its allies from imposing control over the region, especially over maritime traffic in the Red Sea, given the direct repercussions for the Suez Canal.

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of encouraging Houthi attacks against the kingdom, a claim Tehran rejects. Iran has offered assistance to halt the conflict between the two sides.

埃及总统承诺，如果沙特阿拉伯提出请求，埃及将采取“任何措施”帮助保卫沙特阿拉伯。

2026年9月15日，埃及总统阿卜杜勒·法塔赫·塞西与沙特王储穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼在开罗会面。[Bandar Algaloud/沙特皇家法院/路透社]

埃及总统阿卜杜勒·法塔赫·塞西呼吁召开紧急议会会议，授权他批准沙特阿拉伯提出的任何国防援助请求（如果利雅得方面提出请求）。

周六，塞西在埃及军事学院的毕业典礼上发表讲话，强调开罗随时准备支持沙特王国。

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他说，埃及将“采取一切措施保护”沙特阿拉伯，“按照萨勒曼国王陛下和王储穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼的指示”。

“我知道此事需要埃及议会的批准，我希望如果有人提出请求，议会能够召开紧急会议，给予我们这项授权，”他说。

“我发言不是为了挑起争端或攻击任何人，我只是为了自卫。”

对沙特阿拉伯的袭击

此前，也门胡塞武装（伊朗支持）对沙特阿拉伯王国发动了一系列袭击，包括机场和石油设施。

胡塞武装最近对沙特阿拉伯的袭击主要针对首都利雅得郊区的关键基础设施，但他们似乎正在向市中心逼近。

本月初，胡塞武装袭击了利雅得的哈立德国王国际机场，造成14人死亡，300多人受伤。据报道，胡塞武装还袭击了其他机场，包括达曼、艾卜哈、吉赞和纳季兰。

本月，由沙特阿拉伯支持、国际公认的也门政府对胡塞武装发动了全面军事行动，以夺回被胡塞武装占领的领土。

上个月，塞西在开罗与沙特王储穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼 (MBS) 会面时，支持了沙特关于在红海实现安全畅通航行的呼吁。

埃及总统府随后发表声明称，“沙特阿拉伯和海湾国家的安全是埃及国家安全不可分割的一部分”。

那次会议召开的几天前，胡塞武装占领了也门红海沿岸，对通往苏伊士运河的南门曼德海峡取得了重大控制权。

沙特阿拉伯已经与巴基斯坦和土耳其签署了一项防务协议，即《麦加防务联盟》，该协议于 8 月签署。

本月初，这三个国家同意根据该协议启动“威慑措施”，并迅速向海湾王国部署部队，以应对也门胡塞武装的袭击。

分析人士称，利雅得正在寻求帮助以保护沙特王国和红海航运，而埃及（其苏伊士运河的收入依赖于同样的航运）显然是一个合作伙伴。

他们说，鉴于苏伊士运河将受到直接影响，埃及急于阻止伊朗及其盟友控制该地区，特别是红海的海上交通。

沙特阿拉伯指责伊朗怂恿胡塞武装袭击沙特，但德黑兰否认了这一指控。伊朗已表示愿意提供援助，以制止双方冲突。