Egypt confirms troops have been in Saudi Arabia for months, says mission is defensive
Key Facts
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty confirmed that Egyptian forces have been in Saudi Arabia for several months, disclosing the deployment in an interview with France 24 Arabic published on Monday, 9 November. Abdelatty said Egypt’s role was "purely defensive" and that its forces would not enter Yemen. He linked the presence to an earlier escalation with Iran and attacks targeting the kingdom, and said the deployment came at Riyadh’s request. The announcement puts an existing military presence at the center of the regional picture, weeks after Egypt’s parliament approved the mandate. The minister gave no details about the size of the forces, their equipment or how long they would stay.
The confirmation followed approval by Egypt’s parliament on 26 October, by a two-thirds majority, of a mandate authorizing President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to take necessary measures to support and defend Saudi Arabia. The mandate, following coordination with Riyadh, said the measures would include protecting the kingdom’s territory, sovereignty and holy sites from any external attack. On 21 October, Sisi said Egypt’s military effort would not include launching attacks on Yemen and would focus on defending Saudi territory and borders. That scope aligns with Abdelatty’s remarks ruling out the entry of Egyptian forces into Yemen. The opposition Egyptian Social Democratic Party said its 11-member bloc would abstain, citing a lack of information about the mission’s objectives, scope, duration and costs, as well as risks to Egyptian soldiers.
The announcement came as missile attacks on Saudi Arabia continued. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted four Houthi missiles on 9 November: two ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh and two cruise missiles intercepted over Riyadh and the southern region. In a separate incident, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said debris caused limited damage to an Aramco office building in Riyadh, with no injuries or deaths reported. The incidents highlight the threat facing infrastructure and facilities in the kingdom, while Cairo describes its participation as defensive. The Associated Press also reported that Saudi defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles targeting Riyadh and other areas early on Sunday, 8 November, and the Energy Ministry said there were no injuries at the Aramco facility.
The attacks are part of a broader escalation across the region. Reuters reported that fighting has intensified since the Houthis advanced toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait in September, and that the group has since stepped up strikes on Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities, while Saudi Arabia has carried out airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. Reuters also reported that the kingdom used the East-West pipeline to divert about 4 million barrels of crude a day to Yanbu on the Red Sea, equivalent to about 4% of global supplies, after oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz were disrupted. This places the protection of facilities and energy routes within the broader security tensions, alongside the defense of cities and critical sites. Egypt sent naval vessels to the Red Sea in 2015 to support the Saudi-led coalition, but did not send ground forces at the time, according to the Associated Press.
On the diplomatic front, Abdelatty said Cairo was in contact with Riyadh and called for an end to attacks on the kingdom and withdrawals on the ground to pave the way for talks under a previously agreed roadmap. The position places negotiations alongside the defensive support that the minister said Egypt is providing. The Associated Press reported that Egypt’s National Defense Council pledged to provide Saudi Arabia with "all forms of necessary and possible support" to protect its security, stability, resources, territorial integrity and Islamic holy sites, while intensifying diplomatic efforts to reach a settlement. In a sign of moves by other allies, Britain said last week it would deploy Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets on missions to protect Saudi cities and critical infrastructure from Houthi aerial attacks. Abdelatty did not say when the Egyptian presence would end or provide details of its operational arrangements.