Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said on Saturday, October 17, that Cairo was prepared to take any measure needed to help protect Saudi Arabia if the Kingdom requests it, and called on Egypt's parliament to hold an emergency session to authorise such a step.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Egyptian Military Academy and military colleges in the New Administrative Capital, El-Sisi said, as quoted by Gulf News: "We will take any action Saudi Arabia requests to defend its security and sovereignty." He said any role would follow the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
El-Sisi stressed that Egypt's role would be defensive only. "I am not speaking about attacking or waging war. We are seeking only to defend," he said, according to The National. He added that it was "absolutely unacceptable" for Egypt to allow the Kingdom to be targeted.
He also recalled the Gulf's backing for his country. "We must not forget the support our brothers in the Gulf have given Egypt," he said, according to Gulf News. "We stand firmly behind and fully support the protection of our brothers' territories in the Gulf."
"This move and this defence require approval from the Egyptian parliament," El-Sisi said, according to The National. "I hope parliament will convene an emergency session to grant this authorisation." The House of Representatives announced shortly afterwards that it would hold an emergency plenary session on Sunday, October 18, at 1 p.m. local time, according to Al-Ahram and Xinhua.
Arab News described the offer as part of growing regional support for the Kingdom, whose air defences have intercepted a series of missile and drone attacks in recent weeks.
The statement builds on the close ties between the two countries. During Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's state visit to Cairo on September 15, El-Sisi stressed that the security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states was "an integral part of Egypt's national security," according to the Egyptian presidency's spokesman, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shenawy.
