Egypt Offers Saudi Arabia Full Support, Considers Joining Mecca Defense Pact

Cairo, MINA – Egypt is prepared to provide Saudi Arabia with “any kind” of support as the kingdom faces escalating attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Tuesday.

“Whatever is being asked by the Saudis, of course we will respond,” Abdelatty told Bloomberg Television when asked whether Egypt could provide military assistance to Riyadh.

“Without any reservation, we provide all kinds of support,” he added in an interview on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund in Bangkok, scheduled for October 12–18.

Abdelatty also said Cairo was seriously considering joining the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, which currently brings together Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan.

“The issue is under serious consideration by the Egyptian side,” he said.

The agreement was signed in Mecca on August 7 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Under the pact, an armed attack against any one of the three countries is considered an attack against all of them. Türkiye has described the agreement as defensive in nature, stating that it targets no country and remains open to other friendly nations.

On October 5, the alliance agreed to implement its collective defense commitments immediately in response to escalating Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia. The agreement also calls for measures to enable the rapid deployment of agreed military forces and capabilities to the kingdom.

Abdelatty’s remarks followed a sharp increase in Houthi missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi airports and other facilities.

On Sunday, Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia issued a joint statement condemning the attacks and reaffirming their support for Riyadh’s legitimate measures to counter and deter them.

The statement followed an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that, according to the supplied report, killed 13 people and injured 309 others.

In September, Cairo said Egyptian and Saudi national security were “interconnected and inseparable,” while warning that continued Houthi attacks could fuel wider regional tensions.

The latest developments come amid Yemen’s prolonged conflict, which began escalating after Houthi forces seized the capital, Sanaa, and several provinces in September 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

The conflict has killed more than 150,000 people, displaced millions and created one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.

In recent weeks, the Houthis have intensified attacks on Saudi territory, targeting airports, oil facilities and other infrastructure. The group has said its operations will continue until Saudi Arabia ends its military campaign in Yemen and lifts restrictions imposed on areas under Houthi control.

Egypt’s offer of support and its consideration of joining the Mecca defense pact highlight growing security coordination among regional powers amid concerns about the spread of the conflict.

If Egypt joins the agreement, the arrangement would expand beyond its three current members and could deepen military and security cooperation among the participating countries.

However, the latest diplomatic moves come as the conflict continues to threaten regional stability. International calls for de-escalation and renewed negotiations have persisted, while the prospects for a lasting settlement remain uncertain.

The developments underscore the growing importance regional governments place on coordinating their responses to cross-border attacks, even as efforts to resolve Yemen’s long-running conflict through diplomacy remain a central challenge.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)