Egypt's parliament authorizes military support for Saudi Arabia to defend against Houthi attacks

The parliament said in a statement that the vote was meant to give el-Sissi authorization to take necessary measures to back Saudi Arabia in the defense of its territory and sovereignty against an external "aggression." The parliament didn't provide a breakdown of the closed-door vote, but the chamber is overwhelmingly dominated by pro-government lawmakers.

Defensive Support Only

The government didn't give details about the support, prompting lawmakers to question the nature and extent of the proposed assistance. A regional official, briefed on the matter, said that Egypt will deploy air defense systems and aircraft to help repel missiles and drones fired at Saudi Arabia.

Delayed Vote

The vote, which had been scheduled for last week, was delayed after two days of deliberations because of growing wariness among Egyptians concerned about an intervention in Yemen's long-running conflict. Because the debates weren't open, it wasn't immediately clear how the discussions went.

Saudi-Egypt Relations

Saudi Arabia is one of Egypt's main financial backers, providing the country with billions of dollars in financial aid and investments, particularly since el-Sissi came to power following the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood leader, in 2013. Remittances from Egyptians working in Saudi Arabia are also a major source of foreign currency.

Historical Precedent

The announcement of support for Saudi Arabia has evoked dark memories of Egypt's involvement in the civil war in Yemen in the 1960s, pitting royalist supporters of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen against the Yemen Arab Republic. Then Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser deployed tens of thousands of troops to North Yemen in support of his ally, starting a decadelong military intervention that was seen as "one of the low points" of his presidency.