Lawmakers adjourn second session as one party tells members to abstain over unclear commitment.
Published On 19 Oct 2026
Egypt’s parliament has postponed a vote on authorizing its military to provide support to Saudi Arabia, extending a contentious debate over the country’s involvement in the ongoing Yemen conflict.
The House of Representatives announced on Monday that the vote would be rescheduled for October 26, further delaying legislative action on Egypt’s potential military assistance to its Gulf ally.
The opposition Egyptian Social Democratic Party instructed its lawmakers to abstain from the vote, citing insufficient information about the mission’s objectives, duration, financial implications, and risks to Egyptian personnel. Despite this directive, party sources indicate that most of its nearly dozen parliamentary members privately support the measure, according to two unnamed legislators speaking with AFP.
The parliamentary session was convened to authorize President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to respond to Saudi Arabia’s formal request for defense assistance following a series of Houthi attacks on the kingdom, including a high-profile assault on Riyadh’s international airport and Saudi Aramco facilities last week that claimed 13 lives on October 10.
President el-Sisi previously stated that Egypt stands ready to take “any measure” necessary to protect its Gulf allies, emphasizing that such actions would be purely defensive rather than offensive in nature.
Following endorsement from the National Defence Council, chaired by el-Sisi, Egypt’s constitution mandates a two-thirds parliamentary majority for deploying troops on international combat missions. The council granted preliminary approval during its Sunday session.
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The Grand Imam of al-Azhar called upon Arab and Muslim leaders on Sunday to facilitate dialogue regarding Egypt’s parliamentary decision and prevent further escalation of violence in the region.
Saudi Arabia plays a crucial role in supporting Egypt’s struggling economy, with plans to deposit $5.3 billion into Egypt’s central bank this month, along with $267.39 million in interest payments.
Egypt’s EGX30 stock index experienced early losses on Monday due to concerns over potential military involvement, though it recovered to close 0.4 percent higher by the end of trading.
Nematallah Choucri, head of research at HC Securities, told Reuters that regional geopolitical tensions have become the primary factor driving recent market volatility.
Egypt’s economy continues to face challenges from reduced oil and gas exports across the Middle East amid ongoing conflicts involving the United States, Iran, and Yemen, compounded by disruptions in energy shipments through the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
Remittances from Egyptian workers in Saudi Arabia’s energy sector remain a vital component of Egypt’s foreign currency earnings.
Suez Canal threat
Political analyst and Gulf studies expert Thomas Bonnie James told Al Jazeera that the Houthi threat to Saudi Arabia also endangers the strategic Suez Canal, which Egypt’s foreign ministry estimates has lost approximately $11 billion in revenue since the Houthis began targeting vessels in the Bab al-Mandeb strait in solidarity with Gaza in 2023.
James emphasized that Egypt seeks to avoid being perceived as a regional ally that “stood aside while others defended the kingdom.”
Turkiye and Pakistan have already committed their own support measures following the activation of the Mecca defense pact with Riyadh, signed in August, in response to the deteriorating security environment across the Middle East.