Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that Egyptian forces have been present in Saudi Arabia for several months, two weeks after the Egyptian parliament authorized President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to provide defensive support to Saudi Arabia in response to Houthi attacks.
In an interview in English with France 24, broadcast on Monday, Abdelatty said Egypt was now working to “reinforce” its military deployment, a move that had not previously been publicly announced.
“We already have a military presence there at the request of Saudi Arabia… We are working to reinforce it,” he said.
Last month, the Egyptian parliament authorized the provision of defensive support to Saudi Arabia, following a request from President el-Sisi, to help the Kingdom counter Houthi attacks.
At the time, it was unclear whether lawmakers had been informed that Egyptian forces were already stationed on Saudi territory. Some parliamentarians said they had not received details about the planned deployment’s scope or size.
Abdelatty added that Egypt’s military presence in Saudi Arabia had begun “a few months ago, following the attacks and assaults on Saudi Arabia during the escalation with Iran,” without providing further details.
He explained that the upcoming Egyptian military deployment would serve “defensive purposes,” including providing air defense capabilities to protect various sensitive sites in Saudi Arabia, “including, of course, the holy sites and others.”
Saudi authorities have previously reported attacks targeting the regions of Mecca and Medina.
Speaking in Paris while attending a meeting of G7 foreign ministers, Abdelatty played down a statement by Houthi Political Council member Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, who described Egypt’s decision to provide defensive support to Saudi Arabia as an “act of war.”
“If you remember, another senior Houthi official said they appreciate and welcome any role Egypt may play in mediation and de-escalation. That is what we are trying to do, because there is no military solution,” Abdelatty said.
