Egypt's Sisi seeks parliament's backing to help defend Saudi Arabia if asked

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stated on Saturday that Egypt would take any measures necessary to defend Saudi Arabia if requested, amid increasing Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Al-Monitor reports that Sisi described it as inconceivable that the security or stability of Saudi Arabia would be allowed to be harmed. In response, Ajel English reports that the House of Representatives will convene an emergency session on Sunday to discuss authorizing the president to take such measures.

During a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy, the 71-year-old president also addressed his political future. Sisi stated that his presidential term will end in 2030 and described the matter of his departure from office as completely settled. According to SABC News and Dawn, Sisi reaffirmed that the Egyptian constitution would not be touched, adding that there would be no further discussion regarding his term ending in 2030.

Sisi, a former army general who became president in 2014, is currently serving a six-year term following his re-election in 2023. While the 2014 constitution originally limited presidents to two four-year terms, constitutional amendments approved in a 2019 referendum extended those terms to six years.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Ajel English, New Straits Times, SABC News, Dawn — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.