Egypt's Parliament Postpones Vote on Sending Forces to Saudi Arabia Until Monday

Egypt's House of Representatives postponed the vote on President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's request for authorization to send armed forces to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to participate in its defense, deferring it to a closed-door session scheduled for next Monday.

The chamber held two sessions—Sunday and Monday—without issuing any formal decision accepting or rejecting the request.

Party positions diverged sharply: the Justice Party announced through its political office that it would direct its parliamentary bloc to vote in favor. The Wafd Party issued a statement approving authorization for the president to take all necessary measures to support and defend the kingdom. By contrast, the Social Democratic Egyptian Party directed its parliamentary bloc to abstain, citing considerations related to Egyptian national security, economic costs, and risks of regional escalation.

Jalal Morra, first deputy chairman of the Al-Nour Party, stressed in an official statement that Egyptian national security extends to the Arab sphere and that the stability of Arab states is a cornerstone of Egypt's security, citing developments in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb as evidence of the interconnection between regional security and Egypt's strategic and economic interests, and emphasizing the necessity of defensive coordination and support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia whenever circumstances require, based on shared responsibility for regional stability.

On individual positions, deputy Maha Abdel-Nasser declared her explicit rejection of the mandate, calling for a diplomatic solution, and described the authorization draft as "open and vague," refusing to grant undefined authority. Deputy Muhammad Abdel-Aleem Dawood of the Wafd Party, deputy Mahmoud Sami of the Social Democratic Egyptian Party, and deputy Dia al-Din Dawood also expressed reservations about the decision.

The House of Representatives will hold its next session on Monday for a final decision on the authorization, with voting to be conducted by roll call and requiring approval by a two-thirds majority of members.