Middle Eastupdated 26m ago2 min read
MapEgypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty Confirms Egyptian Troops in Saudi Arabia for Months
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Egyptian forces have been stationed in Saudi Arabia for several months. The deployment is described as defensive and at Riyadh’s request, The deployment is described as defensive and at Riyadh’s request..
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Troops in Saudi, months
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty confirmed that Egyptian forces have been in Saudi Arabia for several months, and he said Cairo’s support is for defensive purposes. Badr Abdelatty told France 24 that the forces were deployed “following the attacks and assaults on Saudi Arabia during the escalation with Iran” and that Egypt was now working to “reinforce” the presence.
Badr Abdelatty said Egypt’s mission would be limited to supporting defense of the Kingdom and would not involve engaging in military operations inside Yemeni territory. Badr Abdelatty also said President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had affirmed on 21 October last year that any Egyptian military move to defend Saudi Arabia would be limited to protecting the Kingdom’s lands and borders, and would not involve launching an attack on Yemen.
Constitutional timing dispute
The October 26 parliamentary authorization to provide defensive support to Saudi Arabia became a focal point because Abdelatty’s timeline placed the deployment before the vote. The text said the deployment appears to have begun before Egypt’s parliament voted to authorize it on October 26, and it described the issue as a constitutional question tied to Article 152.
The text stated that Article 152 requires the president to consult the National Defence Council and obtain a two-thirds vote of the House of Representatives before sending forces abroad on a combat mission. The text added that Jordan News flagged it as “unclear whether lawmakers knew forces were already stationed in Saudi territory at the time of the vote,” while the reporting said Egyptian officials had not addressed the discrepancy.
Houthis, de-escalation, Yemen
Badr Abdelatty played down a statement by Mohammed Ali al-Houthi that providing Egypt with defensive support to Saudi Arabia is “an act of war,” and he said there is “no military solution”. Badr Abdelatty said Egypt is working to de-escalate and to pave the way for the resumption of the political process and a settlement to the Yemeni crisis.
The text said the Houthis seized a large portion of Yemen’s Red Sea coast in September and that they have launched attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes targeting the state-owned Aramco oil company and Riyadh International Airport. The text also said the war between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition supporting the internationally recognized government of Yemen has persisted for more than a decade, with resuming in July.