Egypt military has been in Saudi for months, FM says

Egypt has had a military presence in Saudi Arabia for months and is strengthening it, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said in a France24 interview aired on Nov. 9.

Abdelatty said the presence began after attacks on Saudi Arabia during the escalation with Iran. He did not give details on the scale or size of the deployment.

Egypt's parliament last month approved President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's request to send military support to Saudi Arabia. Abdelatty said the coming deployment was for defensive objectives, including air defence capabilities to protect sensitive sites in Saudi Arabia, including holy sites.

Saudi authorities have accused Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis of attacks in the area of Mecca and Medina, which the Houthis deny. Abdelatty also downplayed a Houthi official's comment that Egypt's parliamentary approval amounted to a declaration of war, saying Egypt was trying to mediate and de-escalate.

Saudi Arabia has not publicly commented on Egypt's potential involvement. The kingdom has also received military support from allies including the United Kingdom and France as it faces near-daily Houthi attacks.