Egypt’s move to back Saudi Arabia is a message of deterrence to the Houthis: Analysis

Egypt's president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, is seeking parliamentary approval to authorise support for Saudi Arabia against the Ansarullah Houthis. It comes after weeks of Houthi strikes targeting Saudi infrastructure, including multiple attacks on Riyadh's King Khalid Airport that killed at least 17 people. Egypt, in accordance with the directives of His Majesty King Salman and the directives of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will take any measure to protect and defend you. And I know that this matter requires legislation from the Egyptian parliament. And I hope that parliament will convene in an emergency session so that it can give us this authorization if required. We're not looking for a role to play, but it is absolutely inconceivable that we see the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia being harmed or that its security or stability is being affected. And I say, and I direct my message to everyone in the Gulf to stop this war that is taking place. For more on this, we're now joined by Hussein Haridi, who is a former Egyptian diplomat. He joins us from Cairo. Thank you so much for being with us, sir. As we heard there, President Sisi is offering Egypt support at a moment of escalating Houthi attacks. What has changed, though, that makes Cairo feel it needs to send such a strong message now? Well, I guess it's a message of deterrence to those parties that keep attacking Saudi Arabia And it's a message of deterrence also to warn these parties that in case of escalation on the part against Saudi Arabia, Egypt stands by its side. The Egyptian president, in his capacity as the commander-in-chief of the Egyptian armed forces, has sought the authorization of the National Assembly for the dispatch for the deployment of Egyptian forces outside Egypt, in case the situation in Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea would demand such... You talk about deterrence. How much of President Sisi's statement, though, is about defending the kingdom, and how much is it about preventing the conflict from threatening Egypt's own strategic and economic interests here? Well, I guess mainly we have been following not only the government, but the Egyptian people. We have been following with really great apprehension the escalation of the Houthis against Saudi Arabia, particularly, as in your report mentioned, against the Riyadh International Airport and other vital infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. And I guess our main concern now, our main concern in Egypt now, is to stop this escalation on the part of the Houthis. So Egypt is expressing its disposition, its willingness really to take concrete measures, defensive measures. And I would like to underline the defensive nature of any future deployment of Egyptian forces in Saudi Arabia if it needs. Yeah, just on that point, obviously, President Sisi is asking for emergency parliamentary authorization. I believe that goes on Sunday to defend Saudi Arabia, if requested. I mean, does it suggest at all that Egypt is preparing for the possibility of direct military involvement rather than, I guess, just simply expressing its political solidarity? No. Well, I guess if the president in his capacity as the commander-in-chief of the Egyptian army is demanding the authorization of the National Assembly to deploy troops outside of Egypt, That means that we are taking the situation very seriously. And I guess on military terms, on military grounds, we have to be prepared in cooperation with the Saudi army to take any measure, any action that would provide for the defense of Saudi Arabia and to deter the Houthis from further escalation. What could that potentially look like, though? What would Egypt actually be prepared to do, do you think, given your experience as an Egyptian officer as well? Well, of course, as far as details are concerned, military details on the ground are concerned, I guess. I prefer to leave that to the Egyptian army and to the Egyptian and to the Saudi army. But having said that, I guess that in order to... Well, it looks like we've just lost the connection there. That was Hassan Haridi, former Egyptian diplomat for us in Cairo.