12 Killed in Riyadh Airport Attack as Egypt Authorizes Measures to Defend Saudi Arabia

Key Facts

Egypt’s parliament authorized the president to take measures to support Saudi Arabia and defend its territory and sovereignty, following an attack on Riyadh International Airport that killed 12 people and injured more than 300, according to The Associated Press. Parliament said the mandate allows the measures needed to confront external “aggression.” President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said Cairo’s focus was on defending the kingdom’s territory and borders. Reuters quoted him as saying the support would protect Saudi territory and borders, not attack Yemen. The Egyptian government, however, has not disclosed details of the assistance it might provide.

The Associated Press quoted a regional official familiar with the matter as saying Egyptian support could include deploying air defense systems and aircraft to help intercept missiles and drones, without ground troops in Yemen. The government has not said this is the final form of assistance, nor has it specified when it would be deployed or its scope. The absence of these details leaves questions about the mission’s objectives, duration and cost, points raised by opposition lawmakers during debate on the mandate. The Egyptian Social Democratic Party said its 11-member bloc would abstain from the vote because of the lack of information on these aspects and the risks to Egyptian forces. The party said its reservations also concerned the unclear scope of the mission.

The vote followed a delay in parliamentary deliberations on the mandate, as intervention in the protracted Yemen war remained a sensitive issue in Egypt. The Associated Press said a vote scheduled for the previous week was postponed after two days of deliberations. Reuters reported that el-Sisi had called for an urgent parliamentary session the previous week, before lawmakers delayed the vote until October 26 to allow for further discussion. Parliament did not publish details of the vote, which took place behind closed doors, or the number of votes for and against. The Associated Press added that the chamber is dominated by pro-government lawmakers, while the Egyptian Social Democratic Party bloc maintained its abstention in protest at the lack of information.

The move comes amid mounting security pressure on Saudi Arabia after the attack on Riyadh airport left people dead and hundreds injured, according to the Associated Press. The agency said the kingdom had asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to deploy air defense support in the region, while officials said it was facing a shortage of interceptor missiles. Several airlines also suspended flights to and from Riyadh, including Air India, flydubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines, the agency reported. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency expanded its guidance on Saudi airspace as threats widened. In a broader context, Reuters said Houthi advances threaten the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the gateway to the Suez Canal, and that Egypt has not joined the mutual defense agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey in August.

Relations between Cairo and Riyadh also have an important financial dimension alongside security coordination: Saudi Arabia is one of Egypt’s leading financial backers and provides it with aid and investments worth billions of dollars, according to the Associated Press. Remittances from Egyptians working in the kingdom are an important source of foreign currency for Egypt, the agency said. The current support also brings Egypt’s record of involvement in the Yemen war back into focus. The Associated Press said Egypt sent naval vessels to the Red Sea in 2015 to support the Saudi-led coalition, without sending ground troops at the time. Reuters reported that Egypt joined the coalition in March 2015, primarily in a naval capacity, and sent ships to secure shipping lanes in the Red Sea, while also deploying about 800 ground troops at an earlier stage of the war. A spokesman for the Houthi-controlled parliament warned that Egypt’s involvement in the military campaign would pose a serious threat to its national security and domestic stability.