How far will Egypt go to help Saudi Arabia secure the Red Sea?

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s latest meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi this week came at a highly sensitive moment for both countries.Mere days before Tuesday’s meeting, Iran-aligned Houthi rebels seized Yemen’s Red Sea coast, gaining significant control over the Bab al-Mandeb strait, the southern gateway to the Suez Canal.Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2Egypt’s el-Sisi meets MBS, backs Saudi call for secure Red Sea navigationlist 2 of 2‘They called us’: Has Trump abandoned Bab al-Mandeb to the Houthis?end of listThis precipitated a Saudi air campaign over Yemen and repeated attacks by the Houthis on the kingdom’s oil infrastructure.Analysts say Riyadh is looking for help to protect the kingdom and Red Sea shipping, and that Egypt, whose Suez Canal revenue depends on the same traffic, is an obvious partner.The deepening bilateral relationship carries significant implications for the region, from the conflicts in Yemen and Sudan to Egypt’s close ties with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia’s new defence pact with Turkiye and Pakistan.Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shakes hands with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi duri...