Egypt's Sisi asks parliament to let him send defence help to Saudi Arabia

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called on Saturday for an emergency session of parliament to approve any Saudi request for defence assistance, saying "I am speaking only for defence."

— Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

Killed in attacks on Riyadh's main airport

14 people

The request follows a barrage of attacks on the kingdom by Yemen's Houthis; strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport this month killed 14 people and wounded more than 300.

Mecca Alliance for Defence

• Saudi Arabia
• Pakistan
• Türkiye

Saudi Arabia already has a defence pact with Pakistan and Türkiye, the Mecca Alliance for Defence, signed in August.

Why it matters

The Houthis have seized Yemen's Red Sea coast near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, the southern gateway to the Suez Canal, whose revenue Egypt depends on.