More Countries Are Taking Steps to Send Miliary Aid to Saudi Arabia as Clashes With Houthis Intensify

Egypt has become the latest country to take steps toward sending military aid to Saudi Arabia as it continues to clash with Yemen's Houthi rebels.

The country's parliament on Monday authorized the military to send aid to Riyadh. Cairo's involvement would be limited to defending the country's territory, according to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The decision comes just days after Turkey said it would seek parliamentary approval to send military personnel to the country as part of its newly-signed defense pact with Riyadh and Islamabad.

The country submitted the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement to parliament last week. Ankara also signed an agreement with Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia to boost defense cooperation and defensive capabilities. It is called the "Badr Memorandum of Understanding."

Turkey's initiative comes shortly after the UK increased the amount of military support sent to Riyadh. London noted that it will send fighter jets to perform defensive operations, also providing refueling support on actions that include strikes against Houthi targets.

Pakistan, in turn, has sent about 8,000 troops and air force fighter jets to conduct strikes, according to another report. Troops, however, are unlikely to engage in any fighting and will be tasked with defending Saudi oil infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia is also taking steps of its own. Reuters reported last week that Riyhad appears to be expanding a ballistic missile factory in a move that could allow the kingdom to produce weapons capable of traveling farther or carrying heavier payloads.

Researchers at the Philadelphia-based Foreign Policy Research Institute examined commercial satellite images taken by Planet Labs between April 2025 and September of this year. They identified a new building that they believe contains casting pits used to manufacture solid-fuel missile motors. The structure is at least twice the size of the building thought to house the factory's existing casting facilities, according to their assessment.

A second new structure could hold fuel ingredients or completed missile components. Protective walls around the suspected motor production building provide additional evidence of its potential purpose, the researchers said.

The analysis does not establish which missile the expanded facility would produce. Solid-fuel missiles offer military advantages because they can remain in storage for extended periods and launch more quickly than systems using liquid fuel. The findings also highlight Saudi Arabia's longstanding missile relationship with China. Researchers and other specialists interviewed by Reuters said the kingdom's arsenal and the factory's characteristics suggest reliance on Chinese technology.