Madar (International) - Egypt's House of Representatives on Monday, October 19, 2026, postponed to October 26 a vote authorising the armed forces to support Saudi Arabia, which has come under increasing attack from Yemen's Houthis, Al Jazeera reported, citing AFP and Reuters.
The opposition Egyptian Social Democratic Party said it had told its lawmakers to abstain, arguing that parliament had not been given enough information about the mission's objectives, duration, cost or the risks to Egyptian troops. Two of its members told AFP, however, that most of the party's lawmakers, who hold nearly a dozen seats, support the measure.
The measure would allow President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to approve any Saudi request for defence assistance. After approval from the National Defence Council, given on Sunday, Egypt's constitution requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority to send troops on a combat mission abroad.
The request followed a Houthi attack last week on Riyadh's international airport and Saudi Aramco facilities; 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: "I'm not talking about confronting or attacking anyone. We're talking only about defence."
Saudi Arabia plays an important role in financing Egypt's economy and is due to deposit $5.3bn into Egypt's central bank this month. Egypt's main stock index fell early on Monday amid concerns about possible military involvement but recovered to close 0.4 percent higher.
