Sisi Asks Egypt’s Parliament for Authority to Defend Saudi Arabia if Riyadh Requests Help
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has asked parliament to authorise Egyptian action to defend Saudi Arabia if Riyadh requests it. The House of Representatives has called a plenary session for 13:00 Cairo time (UTC+3) on Sunday 18 October 2026 in response.
What Sisi said
Speaking at the Egyptian Military Academy’s graduation ceremony in the New Administrative Capital on 17 October, Sisi said Egypt would take any measures needed to protect Saudi Arabia if asked, Ahram Online reported. “We do not want to fight or attack anyone. We will only defend Saudi Arabia,” he said. He acknowledged that such action needed parliamentary approval and called for an emergency session to grant it in case Riyadh asked for help. According to Reuters, he said Egypt would act in line with guidance from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The House’s General Secretariat announced the session the same day, saying it had been scheduled in response to the president’s request, the State Information Service reported. “In light of the president’s request, it has been decided to hold the council’s plenary session at 1 pm tomorrow, Sunday, 18 October 2026,” the announcement said, according to Ahram Online. Reuters noted that no agenda was published.
What has not been decided
The authorisation Sisi asked for depends on a Saudi request. No such request has been made public. Egypt has not announced a deployment, and has said nothing about what forces, missions or timelines might be involved. Riyadh had not publicly responded by the time of writing on the morning of 18 October.
The legal basis
Article 152 of Egypt’s 2014 constitution names the president as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. He may not declare war or send the armed forces on a combat mission outside Egypt without first consulting the National Defence Council and winning the approval of two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives.
Previous developments
Parliament used this power in July 2020, when it approved sending troops on combat missions abroad to defend national security as tension over Libya rose. In the days before the academy speech, Sisi said at a Police Academy graduation on 15 October that threats to Saudi Arabia affected Egyptian and Arab national security, Ahram Online reported. Earlier this month DefenceMENA examined his call for the ‘highest combat readiness’ at a meeting of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.
Regional context
Sisi’s request follows a sharp escalation between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement. The Houthis have attacked Riyadh’s international airport and facilities of Saudi Aramco since fighting with Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces resumed after a truce collapsed, Reuters reported. DefenceMENA has covered the attacks on Saudi airports and, on 18 October, the crash of a Saudi National Guard AH-6i helicopter in Najran, which the coalition attributed to a technical fault.
What to watch
Key points to watch: the outcome of Sunday’s vote and the wording of any mandate, any formal Saudi request, and any statement from the Egyptian armed forces’ spokesman. DefenceMENA will update this report after the session.
Sources
- State Information Service (Egypt): Parliament to hold emergency session Sunday on Sisi’s call (17 October 2026)
- Ahram Online: El-Sisi calls for emergency parliamentary session and Egypt’s parliament to convene Sunday (17 October 2026)
- Reuters via Al-Monitor: Egypt’s Sisi seeks parliament’s backing to help defend Saudi Arabia if asked
- Constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt, 2014 (English text, National Elections Authority); Ahram Online: parliament approves sending troops abroad (July 2020)
