Egypt parliament to vote on military support to Saudi Arabia against Houthis in Yemen

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi requested parliamentary authorization to deploy military forces to support Saudi Arabia defensively against escalating Houthi strikes, with a vote delayed until October 26, 2026. The move follows deadly Houthi drone and missile strikes on Saudi airports and oil facilities that killed 19 people. Amid US reluctance for direct strikes, the UK and France are deploying fighter jets, troops, and air defences, while Egyptian diplomats continue pursuing political solutions.

Egyptian parliamentary military authorization vote

• ▪Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi asked parliament to authorise the Egyptian armed forces to deploy on a defensive combat mission supporting Saudi Arabia against Iran-backed Houthis.
• ▪Speaker Yahya Ali al-Rai of the Houthi-run House of Representatives urged the Egyptian parliament to reject the military deployment proposal, stating it threatens Egypt's national security.
• ▪The Egyptian Social Democratic Party instructed its parliamentary bloc to abstain from voting on the resolution, citing insufficient information regarding mission scope, costs, and force protection.
• ▪Under the Egyptian Constitution, the president must consult the National Defense Council and secure a two-thirds majority in parliament to deploy armed forces on foreign combat missions.
• ▪The Egyptian parliament postponed its vote on authorising military support for Saudi Arabia until October 26, 2026, to allow for further deliberation.

Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure

• ▪Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported that over 45% of flight departures from Saudi airports were cancelled between October 8 and October 20, 2026.
• ▪A Houthi attack on a Yemeni government military training camp in Shabwa province killed 58 people and injured over 200 on October 19, 2026.
• ▪Yemen's Houthis claimed strikes on Saudi energy and transport targets on October 19, 2026, including an Aramco site in Yanbu, the Shaybah oilfield, and Riyadh and Abha airports.
• ▪Houthi attacks targeting Saudi airports in Riyadh and Abha in October 2026 killed 19 people and injured more than 300 others, according to coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki.

UK military deployment to Saudi

• ▪UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting condemned Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia, specifically referencing the targeting of Riyadh airport as despicable.
• ▪The United Kingdom announced plans to deploy Typhoon fighter jets for defensive counter air missions and send military advisers to assist Saudi Arabia against Houthi strikes.
• ▪The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence agreed to provide an A400M transport aircraft to facilitate the movement of defensive materiel within Saudi Arabia.

French military deployment to Saudi

• ▪France initiated the deployment of military assets, including troops, radars, and air defence systems, to protect the Saudi Red Sea port city of Yanbu.
• ▪French President Emmanuel Macron committed military support to Saudi Arabia as part of a bilateral defence arrangement following Houthi strikes on Yanbu.

Egyptian diplomatic efforts in Yemen

• ▪Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and intelligence chief Hassan Rashad delivered a letter from President al-Sisi to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on October 21, 2026.
• ▪Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called for political solutions ensuring full Houthi withdrawal from territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait while supporting Saudi defence.
• ▪Egyptian foreign policy has prioritized diplomatic de-escalation and avoiding direct combat in regional conflicts, maintaining roughly 800 naval-focused troops in the Saudi-led coalition since 2015.

Gulf stock market declines

• ▪Egypt's blue-chip index EGX30 rose 1.9% on October 20, 2026, bucking regional market declines after the Egyptian parliament delayed its military authorisation vote.
• ▪Major Gulf stock markets declined on October 20, 2026, following reported Houthi attacks on Saudi targets, with Saudi Arabia's benchmark index dropping 1.7%.
• ▪Brent crude futures increased to $111.75 per barrel on October 20, 2026, marking the highest level since May 2026 amid heightened Middle Eastern conflict.