Egypt Stays Out of Saudi-Led Defense Pact Amid Strategic and Military Concerns

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan recently signed a mutual defense agreement, pledging collective response if any member is attacked. However, Egypt chose not to join this alliance, sparking debate over the reasons behind its exclusion. Since the 2013 military coup, Saudi Arabia has invested approximately $25 billion to stabilize Egypt's struggling economy, yet this financial support has not translated into expected military cooperation.

Saudi frustration has grown due to Egypt's limited and unreliable role in regional conflicts, particularly its minimal support during Saudi Arabia's prolonged war against Houthi rebels in Yemen and lack of backing in the recent conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran. While Egypt deployed fighter jets to Abu Dhabi in response to Iranian attacks, it did not provide similar assistance to Saudi Arabia. Another point of tension is Egypt's increasing alignment with the United Arab Emirates, whose policies sometimes conflict with Saudi and Egyptian interests, including involvement in Somaliland, strategic ties with Israel, and support for paramilitary groups in Sudan and Ethiopia.

Criticism from Saudi sources also targets the Egyptian military's focus on civilian economic management rather than enhancing military production capabilities. Unlike Turkey, with its advanced defense industry, and Pakistan, with a large, well-equipped army, Egypt's military is seen as less combat-ready. Conversely, reports from the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Akhbar newspaper suggest Egypt deliberately opted out of the pact, preferring to maintain strategic independence and avoid entanglement in foreign conflicts.

Egypt has actively participated in the "quadrilateral coordination mechanism" with the other countries and hosted a meeting in June, fully aware of the developments leading to the defense agreement. However, Egyptian sources emphasize that this cooperation was intended for regional crisis consultations, intelligence sharing, and diplomatic coordination, not binding military commitments. Egypt faces difficult questions about the obligations of alliance members in case of attacks and the risks of being drawn into external wars. Ultimately, concerns over losing strategic autonomy outweighed the benefits of joining the new defense pact.