Egypt pledged undefined support for Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks intensify, with parliament due to resume deliberations Oct. 26 and the Suez Canal adding an economic dimension.
On Oct. 18, Egypt’s National Defence Council offered “all necessary and possible forms of support” to Saudi Arabia and called for diplomacy to ease regional tensions. The statement did not specify personnel, equipment or the duration of any mission.
Ahram Online and Reuters reported that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said on Oct. 21 that any Egyptian military role would defend Saudi territory and borders, without attacks on Yemen.
Article 152 of Egypt’s Constitution requires consultation with the National Defence Council and approval by two-thirds of the House of Representatives before the armed forces can be sent abroad on a combat mission. Ahram Online reported that at least 398 of the 596 members would have to approve the planned vote, and that nearly 500 lawmakers had requested speaking time. EconoTimes previously covered the constitutional approval rules for the Saudi-defense debate.
A Cambridge University Press chapter puts Egypt’s force in Yemen at 3,000 shortly after the 1962 revolution, about 50,000 the following year and 70,000 by summer 1965. It says the military presence ended in autumn 1967, after Egypt’s defeat in the Six-Day War. Al Jazeera quoted Ahmad Dahshan, editor-in-chief of the Center of Arabic Eurasian Studies, as saying Egyptian troops were killed in Yemen. The outlet also quoted independent Yemeni analyst Mohammed al-Qadhi as saying Yemen’s government needs political and economic support.
Reuters reported that Egypt contributed air and naval forces to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in 2015. The agency also reported that Egypt has not made a large-scale foreign ground deployment since the 1991 Gulf War.
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, along the shipping route toward the Suez Canal. The Suez Canal Authority describes the canal as a major source of foreign currency for Egypt. It reported revenue of $10.250 billion in 2023 and $3.991 billion in 2024, a 61% decline amid regional tensions. In August 2026, monthly revenue reached $567.1 million, the Suez Canal Authority reported. Further disruption could weigh on canal receipts, an inference from the route’s role and the revenue figures.
El-Sisi has separately said Egypt lost about $20 billion in canal revenue in recent years amid regional instability, without assigning the entire amount to Yemen. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s support for a political and diplomatic settlement in Yemen on Oct. 17. The House is due to resume deliberations Monday, Oct. 26.
