Egyptian military forces have maintained a presence inside Saudi Arabia for several months, deployed following past escalations with Iran to strengthen the kingdom's defense infrastructure, according to statements from Cairo.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty revealed the ongoing deployment during an interview broadcast by France 24, noting that the military personnel arrived well before a parliamentary authorization granted in late October Euronews reported. Abdelatty stated that Cairo is currently working to enhance this military footprint at the direct request of the Saudi government.
The military cooperation is strictly confined to defensive operations and will not extend into offensive engagements, according to official clarifications from Cairo. Abdelatty emphasized that Egyptian forces will not cross Saudi borders into Yemen.
This limitation mirrors statements made by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Oct. 21, when he sought parliamentary backing to provide defensive support against Houthi attacks targeting Saudi oil facilities and infrastructure DW reported. The Egyptian foreign minister specified that the current and upcoming deployments focus primarily on air defense capabilities designed to protect sensitive sites within the kingdom, including holy locations.
The disclosure has raised questions regarding transparency, as the Egyptian parliament granted authorization on Oct. 26 to provide military assistance to the kingdom without it being clear if lawmakers were aware that troops were already stationed on Saudi soil. Several lawmakers informed Agence France-Presse that they had received no details from the military or government concerning the scale or scope of the deployment prior to the vote.
The deployment has drawn sharp rhetoric from Yemen’s Houthi movement, with senior figures condemning the move. However, Egyptian officials have sought to downplay the threats by pointing to contradictory statements from within the group.
Abdelatty noted that while some Houthi representatives labeled the military cooperation an act of war, other senior officials within the movement previously welcomed Egypt’s potential role as a mediator Monte Carlo International reported.
Cairo maintains that active diplomatic channels remain open to de-escalate regional tensions and revive the political track for resolving the prolonged conflict in Yemen. The Houthi reactions followed an October 27 statement by the group that characterized Egypt’s defense authorization as a declaration of war on Yemen, specifically referencing remarks from political bureau member Muhammad Ali al-Houthi.
