Badr Abdelatty claims that Egyptian forces have been present in Saudi Arabia for several months at the request of Riyadh. In his talks in Paris this week, the Foreign Minister describes a mission to strengthen the kingdom’s defensive capabilities, without intervention in Yemen.
Military support presented as defensive
The Minister’s statements, reported on 10 and 11 November, concern in particular the protection of sensitive sites on Saudi territory. Abdelatty links this assistance to Egyptian national security and to the mandate given to President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi by Parliament on 26 October.
However, confirmation of a presence does not specify its size or the composition of the units. Figures and lists of equipment circulating under cover of anonymous sources are not officially announced by the Minister.
At the same time, Abdelatty maintains that Cairo continues its contacts to stop the attacks and allow negotiations to resume. It therefore presents defensive support and diplomatic efforts as two components of the same policy.
A limit already formulated by Sissi
This distinction was included in an intervention by the Egyptian President on 21 October, whose report was published by the Presidency. Sissi stated that the military effort was aimed at defending the territory and borders of Saudi Arabia, and did not include an attack on Yemen.
It extended this principle to the assistance requested by other Arab States, emphasizing the continuation of action within the bounds of the supported country. The President also retached the stability of the Gulf States to Egyptian national security. This doctrine alone does not provide details of on-site operations.
Consultations in Paris to avoid escalation
On 10 November, Abdelatty met in Paris with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abderrahmane Al-Thani, as well as Saudi chief of diplomacy, Fayçal bin Farhane. The Egyptian communiqué describes discussions on de-escalation and diplomatic démarches after the Qatari official in Washington.
On the same day, at his meeting with Jean-Noel Barrot, Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s support for a political settlement of the Yemeni crisis. These statements do not indicate a new order of deployment or an entry of Egyptian forces into Yemen.
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