The key facts

  • Egypt's parliament postponed an emergency session on military support for Saudi Arabia to Monday
  • The initiative belongs to President El-Sisi, who pledged to help Riyadh at its request
  • Saudi Arabia was recently attacked by Yemen's Houthis

Session postponed to Monday

Egypt's parliament on Sunday interrupted an emergency session convened to discuss approving military support for Saudi Arabia. According to the Egyptian TV channel Al Qahera News, the next session on this matter will take place on Monday; the channel did not disclose further details.

The president's initiative

The session was held at the request of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. On Saturday, he said Cairo would take all necessary measures to defend Saudi Arabia if Riyadh asked for help.

Context of the conflict in Yemen

Saudi Arabia has recently come under attack from Yemen's Houthi movement. Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since September 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and a number of provinces. In response, in March 2015 a Riyadh-led coalition intervened in the conflict in support of the internationally recognized government. A UN-brokered truce reached in April 2022 brought years of relative calm.