Egypt's parliament delays vote on military support for Saudi Arabia

Egypt's House of Representatives adjourned the vote on Monday to October 26, prolonging debate over the country's potential role in the Yemeni conflict. Parliament has been tasked with authorising President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to approve any Saudi request for defence assistance amid attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis. The National Defence Council, chaired by el-Sisi, gave its approval on Sunday, but Egypt's constitution requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority to send troops on a combat mission abroad.

The opposition Egyptian Social Democratic Party instructed its lawmakers to abstain, saying parliament had not been given enough information about the mission's objectives, duration, cost, or the risks to Egyptian troops. However, the party, which holds nearly a dozen seats, said most of its lawmakers support the measure, according to two members of parliament who spoke to AFP.

The call for support came after Houthi attacks on Riyadh's international airport and the state oil company Saudi Aramco last week. Saudi authorities say 13 people were killed in the October 10 attack on the airport. El-Sisi said on Saturday that Egypt would take any measure needed to protect its Gulf allies, adding that he was talking only about defence, not about confronting or attacking anyone.

Saudi Arabia holds an important role in financing Egypt's rocky economy, and is due to deposit $5.3bn into Egypt's central bank this month plus $267.39m in interest. Egypt's EGX30 stock index fell early on Monday amid concerns about possible military involvement but recovered to close 0.4 percent higher. Nematallah Choucri, head of research at HC Securities, told Reuters that geopolitical developments are the main driver of recent market losses.

Political analyst and Gulf studies expert Thomas Bonnie James told Al Jazeera that the Houthi security threat to Saudi Arabia also threatens the Suez Canal. Egypt's foreign minister says the canal has lost about $11bn since the Houthis launched attacks in the Bab al-Mandeb strait in solidarity with Gaza in 2023. James also said Egypt does not want to be seen as the regional ally that stood aside while others defended the kingdom.

The Grand Imam of al-Azhar urged Arab and Muslim leaders on Sunday to mediate Egypt's parliamentary decision and avert further bloodshed. Turkiye and Pakistan have made their own pledges after activating the Mecca defence pact with Riyadh, signed in August, amid the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East.