Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has expressed support for Saudi Arabia's calls for secure and unhindered navigation in the Red Sea during a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Cairo. This meeting took place on Tuesday and included a Saudi delegation featuring Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and other senior officials, as stated by the Egyptian presidency.
The statement from the presidency highlighted that "relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia can only be exemplary within the Arab framework, and that the security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states is an integral part of Egypt’s national security." It also emphasized the need for a sustainable political solution to the ongoing conflict in Yemen. Recently, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has lost significant territories, including coastal areas crucial for oil shipping, to the Iran-aligned Houthis.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman underscored the importance of secure navigation in both the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The meeting occurs amid reports that Yemen’s Houthi rebels have captured Mocha port and now effectively control the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Despite Houthi assurances that maritime traffic in the Red Sea will remain unaffected, Saudi-linked vessels have been targeted by the group in recent months. The disruptions in the Red Sea have had a significant impact on Egypt’s economy, with Suez Canal revenues reportedly dropping by approximately $7 billion between 2023 and 2024, which accounts for about 60 percent of the canal's revenues, according to the Suez Canal Authority. Egypt has so far refrained from military action to address the Houthi disruptions affecting tanker traffic in the Red Sea.