Egypt and Saudi Arabia agreed Tuesday to form a joint military committee to discuss a “grand manoeuvre strategy” on Saudi territory.
The manoeuvre will see the participation of a joint Arab force from the two countries along with other Gulf states.
President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met with Saudi Arabian Minister of Defence Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud Tuesday, reviewing the latest developments of the “Decisive Storm” military operation.
Egypt’s armed forces spokesperson issued a press release Tuesday categorically rejecting rumours Egyptian troops have participated in ground operations in Yemen. However, the Saudi operation’s spokesperson, Ahmed Osiri Ouda, announced Tuesday: “We are still in the air raid stage and will immediately start the ground operation once the time is right, and the coalition states are committed to participate in all the different stages of the operation”.
By the end of May Saudi Arabia had launched its first airstrike in the southern Yemeni town of Aden against Shi’a Al-Houthi rebels, turning Yemen into a no-fly zone and taking control of its air space. Egypt had announced that it will support Saudi Arabia “politically and militarily”, and later participated with aerial and navy forces in the attacks.
The operation has so far displaced 120,000 Yemenis according to the United Nations.
The operation is “aimed at establishing stability and security in Yemen, maintaining its Arab identity, and help it overcome this critical stage in its history in order to safeguard the capabilities of the Yemeni people, and preserve their rights”, a presidential statement said.
Al-Sisi met Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz on 1 March, the first meeting with the Egyptian president since King Salman ascended to power after the death of his brother and predecessor, King Abdullah.
Al-Sisi reinforced the need for a joint Arab force, “not for attacking, but for defending the security of our countries”.
Since former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi’s ouster in July 2013, Saudi Arabia has been a strong backer of Egypt. The Gulf kingdom, a long-time critic of the Muslim Brotherhood, formally declared the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation in March 2014. It has also consistently come to the aid of Egypt’s ailing economy with loans and other support.
Saudi Arabia, currently investing over $5.7bn in Egypt, is the largest investing Arab country in Egypt, providing 27% of total Arab investments.
During the March Economic Summit held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Saudi Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz pledged further $4bn in economic assistance to Egypt.
The Saudi defence minister praised Egypt’s support for Saudi Arabia and the security of the Gulf region, as well as its role in promoting joint Arab action at all levels, the presidential statement said.
Al-Sisi stressed that Egypt “was and will always be of help to its brothers and a defender of Arab rights”. He added: “Arabian Gulf security is a red line for Egypt and an integral part of national security, where the security of the region is directly linked to Egypt’s vital interests, particularly in the Red Sea and the Strait of Bab El-Mandeb.”
The meeting also dealt with the role of culture and the media as a means to raise awareness and transfer of the facts relating of all issues in the Arab region, as well as the importance of culture and education as tools for supporting religious speech to defeat terrorism and extremist thinking.
Present at the meeting were Egyptian Minister of Defence Sedki Sobhi, Saudi Minister of Culture and Information Adel Tarifi, and the two countries’ directors of the intelligence services.