Egyptian President Sisi seeks approval to send military help to Saudi Arabia

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi requested an emergency session of parliament to authorize him to send defense assistance to Saudi Arabia if asked by Riyadh, Al Jazeera reported on Saturday. Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy on October 17, el-Sisi stated that Cairo is ready to take any measure to protect the kingdom, according to Al Jazeera. [1]

Al Jazeera, Reuters, Arab News, Türkiye Today, and The National all reported that el-Sisi is seeking parliamentary backing to send military support. El-Sisi specified that any action taken would follow the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to Al Jazeera. [1][8][9][10][11]

Security concerns in the region have increased recently. Sky News reported that the United Kingdom advised against all but essential travel to Saudi Arabia due to attacks from Houthis in Yemen. Additionally, Gulf News reported that the United States issued a security alert for Saudi Arabia concerning risks of airport attacks. [2][3]

The ongoing regional instability has impacted sports and international events. The Guardian reported that missile attack warnings delayed a soccer match involving Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, while Canadian Cycling Magazine reported that the UCI canceled the cycling world championships that were scheduled to take place in the kingdom. [5][6]

El-Sisi has served as the president of Egypt since 2014. Türkiye Today and Anadolu Ajansi reported that el-Sisi confirmed his current presidential term will end in 2030, while ruling out potential constitutional amendments. [10][12][13]