Egypt's parliament meets to discuss potential military aid to Saudi Arabia

The Egyptian House of Representatives is convening for an emergency session today, October 18, 2026, at 13:00 local time. The meeting was requested by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to seek authorization for providing potential military assistance to Saudi Arabia, should the kingdom request it to counter ongoing attacks by the Houthi movement from Yemen.

President el-Sisi emphasized that Egypt does not seek to initiate regional conflicts but remains prepared to defend its ally. This request follows a period of heightened hostilities, most notably an attack last week on the Riyadh international airport that resulted in 13 deaths, alongside reported strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities. Riyadh has been actively providing military support to the internationally recognized Yemeni government against the Iranian-backed Houthi forces.

The parliamentary session aims to establish a legal framework for potential military intervention, though no concrete deployment of forces has been decided at this stage. The assembly serves to grant the president the authority to act swiftly if the regional security situation further deteriorates.