Egypt’s House of Representatives is holding an emergency session today to consider President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s request for authority to give Saudi Arabia defensive military assistance, should Riyadh ask for it.

The session, chaired by House Speaker Hisham Badawy, was due to start at 1pm local time (10:00 GMT). Parliament did not say what would be on the agenda.

Sisi made the request on Saturday at a graduation ceremony for new classes at the Egyptian Military Academy. He said it was “inconceivable” that Egypt would allow Saudi Arabia’s security or stability to be harmed, and that Cairo would take any measure the kingdom requests to protect its sovereignty. He stressed that any intervention would be strictly defensive. Egypt, he said, does not want to fight or attack anyone, and would act on the guidance of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Sisi acknowledged that such action requires parliamentary approval and asked lawmakers to meet urgently to grant it.

The move comes as Saudi Arabia faces near-daily attacks from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Since early October, the strikes have killed at least 14 people and wounded more than 320.

They include an attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that left at least 13 dead. The Houthis have also targeted Saudi energy facilities, and the Saudi-led coalition says it continues to shoot down drones and missiles over the capital and other regions. Riyadh has accused Tehran of encouraging the escalation, a charge Iran denies.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia are close strategic and economic partners. The Gulf states gave Cairo billions of dollars in aid, central bank deposits and investments after the 2013 military ouster of President Mohamed Morsi. Egypt also joined the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to back the internationally recognised government against the Houthis. The crown prince visited Sisi on September 15, after fighting in Yemen reignited, to discuss security and navigation in the Red Sea.