Egypt Helps Saudi Arabia Defend ‘Sensitive Sites’ Against Houthi Attacks

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Tuesday that Egyptian forces have been deployed to Saudi Arabia for “defensive objectives to defend sensitive sites, including holy sites and others.” “We already have a military presence there at the request of our brothers and sisters in Saudi Arabia to help; and we are strengthening that,” Abdelatty told France24 television in an interview on Tuesday night. Abdelatty said Egyptian troops first arrived “a few months ago after the attacks and aggressions on Saudi Arabia during the escalation with Iran.” The foreign minister’s remarks were the first public confirmation from an Egyptian official that troops have been dispatched to Saudi Arabia. A supporter of Yemen’s Houthi rebels carries his rifle during a rally in support of the group in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, October 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman) The Egyptian parliament voted to give President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi the authority to order such a deployment in late October, a week after the president requested a vote. The Houthis angrily denounced the vote as a “declaration of war.” Egypt is part of a broadly defined four-way alliance with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan known as the “Regional 4” or “R4.” Cairo has reportedly been considering membership in the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, a tighter defense pact signed by the other R4 members in August 2026. Saudi Arabia has been under attack from the Iran-backed Houthi insurgents of Yemen since last summer, including deadly missile and drone strikes against civilian airports and energy facilities. Abdelatty’s comment about protecting “holy sites” was an allusion to several instances of Houthi drones approaching the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. The first threat against Mecca in September was condemned by most Muslim governments. The Houthis have denied having any plans to attack Mecca or Medina. Saudi security officers watch pilgrims in front of the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, during the minor pilgrimage, known as Umrah, that can be undertaken at any time of the year, Friday, October 23, 2026. (AP Photo) The National on Wednesday quoted “sources briefed on the matter” who said “hundreds” of Egyptian soldiers are on the ground in Saudi Arabia, along with “armor, anti-aircraft batteries, and surface-to-surface missiles.” The anti-air weapons include the Skyguard AMOUN system, which features integrated radar, 35mm cannons, and medium-range surface-to-air missile launchers. “The mission is for the Egyptian force to defend Saudi Arabia and not attack the Houthis, but it’s also authorised to defend itself if attacked,” said one of The National’s sources. Middle East Eye (MEE) reported on Wednesday that Egyptian air defense systems and aircraft, including helicopters and French-made Rafale jet fighters, were sent to Saudi Arabia long before Sisi requested parliamentary approval for a troop deployment. According to MEE’s report, Egypt also moved some of its warships into the Red Sea, close to the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which might have helped convince the Houthis not to try closing the strait. “Security discussions and exchanges between the two countries had been ongoing since the fighting began, with the aim of agreeing on how military intervention and support would be carried out,” said a source for the report. From left, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stand together after signing a trilateral defense agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026. (Saudi Press Agency via AP) Abdelatty made his comments while in Paris to attend a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations. On Wednesday, the summit issued a joint statement condemning Houthi attacks on targets in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The statement expressed solidarity with the legitimate government of Yemen, which was displaced from the capital of Sanaa in 2014 by the Houthi insurgency, and called on Iran to stop supplying the Houthis with money and weapons. The G7 also issued an urgent call for a “humanitarian corridor” into the city of Taiz, which has long been under siege by the Houthis, and called for the insurgents to release some 70 United Nations staffers they have taken prisoner. Saudi Arabia’s military coalition on Wednesday announced the interception of three cruise missiles fired by the Houthis at the Saudi capital of Riyadh, plus two drones launched at Mecca and another target in southern Saudi Arabia. The coalition said it also intercepted two missiles aimed at Riyadh on Tuesday.