Egypt Parliament Gives Sisi Authority for Saudi Military Support

Egypt's parliament on Monday, October 26, 2026, authorized President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi to support Saudi Arabia in defending its territory and sovereignty. Shafaq News reported a two-thirds majority. AP reported no closed-door vote breakdown and a chamber dominated by pro-government lawmakers. The vote was delayed after two days of closed-door deliberations from the prior week. A regional official said Egypt will deploy air defense systems and aircraft, not ground troops, and will not fight in Yemen. El-Sissi said he is speaking only for defense and denied plans to attack Yemen. The National Defense Council, chaired by el-Sissi, had pledged all necessary support earlier in the month. The Social Democratic Party's 11-member bloc abstained over insufficient information on objectives, scope, duration, costs and risks. Saudi Arabia supplies Egypt with billions in aid and investment; Egyptian remittances from the kingdom are a major foreign-currency source. Turkey, the UK and Pakistan have also moved to support Riyadh. CONTESTED: Shafaq News put the majority at two-thirds; AP said no tally was released. El-Sissi framed the mission as defensive only; Social Democrats abstained citing missing detail on scope and risk.