Cairo ‘not serious’ about joining Mecca pact, offer to help Saudis is symbolic, expert tells ‘Post’

An expert tells The Jerusalem Post that Egypt is not genuinely interested in joining the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, and its offer to support Saudi Arabia against the Houthis is symbolic and unlikely to be acted upon. The assessment cites Egypt's preoccupation with other regional challenges, including the Muslim Brotherhood, tribal tensions, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam dispute, and conflict in Sudan, as well as restrictions from the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty.

Jonathan Hessen, a senior fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS), told The Jerusalem Post that Cairo has no real intention of joining the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, and its offer to send support to Riyadh is symbolic and unlikely to be called upon. His comments came after Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Egypt was considering joining the pact and willing to provide whatever support Riyadh requested in its war against the Houthis. Hessen noted that on the same day, the defense ministers of Cyprus and Greece held a trilateral meeting in Cairo, which does not bode well for the Turkish narrative that Egypt would soon join. He highlighted that each Mecca pact member is focused on a specific power: Saudi Arabia on the Houthis, Pakistan on India and Iran, and Turkey on Israel. Hessen also pointed to Article 6 of the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty, which restricts Cairo from signing agreements that undermine the treaty. He argued that Egypt is too preoccupied with challenges including the Muslim Brotherhood, tribal tensions, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam dispute, and conflict in Sudan to focus on supporting Riyadh. He noted that despite pledges, Egypt has yet to send naval assets to the Red Sea.