Egyptian Parliament Authorizes El-Sisi to Send Troops to Saudi Arabia

Parliament granted the president a mandate to deploy troops

On Monday, October 26, 2026, the Egyptian Parliament approved a mandate allowing President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to send troops to Saudi Arabia, according to Mustafa Bakri, a deputy close to the government. He stated that following a closed session in Cairo, the parliament 'approved granting President El-Sisi the authority to deploy forces to Saudi Arabia if necessary and after coordination between the two countries.' The deputy noted that the parliament gave the president 'freedom of decision based on his own assessment.' The results of the roll-call vote, held behind closed doors, were not published. According to The National, this was the third closed session in nine daysdedicated to this issue.

Constitutional requirements and the president's position

Deploying the army on a combat mission abroad under Article 152 of the constitution requires the support of two-thirds of the 596 deputies, meaning at least 398 votes. Approval does not mean immediate troop deployment: El-Sisi, as supreme commander, now has the legal authority to act, but has stated that Egypt will do so only upon a request from Riyadh. No official request from Saudi Arabia has been announced. The form of potential support remains unclear: officials described the mission as defensive and did not specify whether it would involve ground troops, air defense systems, or naval forces.

Debate proceedings and party positions

El-Sisi requested the mandate on October 17 at a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy, stating that it was 'unthinkable' for Saudi Arabia's security to be compromised. The following day, the National Defense Council, led by him, promised the kingdom 'all necessary and possible forms of support,' without specifying their form, scale, or duration. Quick approval was expected: four main pro-government parties control 403 of the 568 elected seats. Instead, the chamber held closed sessions on October 18 and 19, then suspended work for a week. Deputy Speaker Assem El-Ghazzar said that nearly 500 deputies requested to speak — more than for any other issue. Most parties supported the request: the oldest liberal Wafd party called Saudi Arabia's security an 'integral part' of Egypt's national security, the Justice Party instructed its deputies to vote 'yes,' and the Salafi Nur party called for defensive coordination with Riyadh. The Egyptian Social Democratic Party (with about a dozen seats) recommended abstention, citing economic costs and the risk of regional escalation; its deputy Maha Abdel Nasser rejected the 'open and vague' mandate and called for a diplomatic solution. The positions of Wafd faction leader Mohamed Abdel Aleem Dawoud and independent deputy Diaa El Din Dawoud were also clarified.

Context: Riyadh airport attack and Houthi warning

For many Egyptians, the crisis became personal on October 10 when a Houthi attack on Riyadh airport killed 12 people, including 28-year-old Azza Ramzi from the Beheira province. The Houthis warned Cairo against intervention: Yahya Al-Rai, speaker of their controlled parliament in Sanaa, sent a letter to his Egyptian counterpart Hisham Badawi, stating that involvement would create a 'serious danger' for Egypt's national security. According to The National, Cairo's motives are linked to Saudi Arabia being one of Egypt's largest financial sponsors, while Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea have already reduced revenues from the Suez Canal, one of the main sources of foreign currency.

What this means

The parliament's decision moves the question of supporting Riyadh from a political declaration to a legally formalized possibility: all that is now required of the president is an assessment of the situation and, in his own words, a request from Saudi Arabia. For Egyptians, the practical significance is twofold: on the one hand, possible involvement in the conflict; on the other, the already tangible economic losses from attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, which are reducing Suez Canal revenues. Neither the form of a potential mission, nor its timing, nor Riyadh's position is yet known, so it is premature to speak of an actual deployment.