Egypt's parliament authorises military support for Saudi Arabia against the Houthis

Egypt's House of Representatives on Monday authorised President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to "take the necessary measures to support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia", state newspaper Al-Ahram reported, a step that could bring the Arab world's largest army into the conflict with Yemen's Houthis. Dawn carried the Reuters and AFP report.

What was approved

Sisi asked parliament last week for permission to help defend Saudi Arabia if Riyadh requests it. He has said Egypt's role would be limited to defending Saudi territory and borders, not attacking Yemen. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and intelligence chief Hassan Rashad delivered a letter from Sisi to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Wednesday.

Egypt's own stake is direct: Houthi advances threaten the Bab al-Mandeb strait at the mouth of the Red Sea, the route to the Suez Canal, one of Egypt's biggest earners. Saudi Arabia has also given Cairo billions of dollars in aid, central bank deposits and energy.

Where Pakistan fits

Egypt is not a member of the Makkah mutual defence pact signed in August by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye, though Abdelatty said this month membership is "under serious consideration". Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Monday that Pakistan would defend Saudi Arabia "with full force", Geo News reported, while pact members met Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran and agreed to keep talking. Pakistan condemned the Houthi missile attacks on Sunday after debris fell in the Makkah and Madina regions (our story).

The background

The Houthis, who control Sanaa, have attacked Riyadh's international airport and Saudi Aramco facilities in recent weeks, disrupting flights and oil exports. The fighting has become one front of the wider US-Israeli war with Iran. Egypt joined the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in 2015, mainly with warships and about 800 ground troops, and has not made a large foreign ground deployment since the 1991 Gulf War.

What it means for Pakistanis in the Gulf

More than two million Pakistanis live and work in Saudi Arabia. Flight disruption at Riyadh has already hit travellers, and the remittances they send home are counted in riyals: check today's rate on our Saudi riyal page or with the currency converter.