There are also concerns about the direct repercussions for the Egyptian economy and Suez Canal revenues.
Egypt expressed reservations about joining the multinational maritime coalition announced by Saudi Arabia, despite intensive Saudi efforts to persuade Cairo, according to an informed Egyptian source who told The New Arab.
The source said that officials from the two countries held talks in recent days to discuss the nature of the coalition, its objectives and the mechanisms for participation. However, Cairo informed the Saudis that it will not participate in military operations beyond its borders unless they are directly linked to its national security.
The source said that the Egyptian position is based on a “well-established doctrine” of foreign policy to avoid being entangled in external military coalitions or operations that could expand the scope of conflict in the region.
The source further said Cairo seeks political and diplomatic solutions, particularly given the current regional complexities, because Egyptian authorities have channels of communication and relations with all key parties involved in the regional conflict.
State-owned and state-affiliated media outlets in Egypt on Monday, citing an “informed source”, reported that Egypt’s participation in a multinational maritime coalition aimed at protecting navigation through maritime routes and securing global trade is still being studied as part of a review of all relevant legal and constitutional aspects.
The source added that this current assessment is considering all legal and constitutional dimensions to ensure that any future step complies with the Egyptian constitution and laws, safeguards national interests and fulfils the relevant institutional obligations.
For his part, former Assistant Foreign Minister Ambassador Masoum Marzouk said to The New Arab that while the idea of a regional security coalition is “strategically sound,” the coalition requires greater clarity regarding its objectives, the risks it seeks to address, and the specific roles of each participating state.
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Marzouk told The New Arab that the coalition announcement did not sufficiently clarify the nature of the threats it seeks to address or the rights it aims to defend.
As a result, he argued, there is a need to develop the proposal into an integrated security framework rather than merely a maritime coalition.
Marzouk, who previously served as an officer in the Egyptian armed forces, also said he had repeatedly called in his writings for the establishment of a regional security system in the Middle East to confront “the threats posed by the Israeli entity as a present and future threat to all countries in the region, not only the Arab states”.
He argued Cairo’s presence within the framework would enable it to reshape its balance and understand its mechanisms, given Egypt’s position as an active and influential regional player.
The Egyptian position comes as the region experiences growing security tensions, with continuing concerns over the expansion of maritime confrontations and their impact on global trade and shipping routes through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab.
There are also concerns about the direct repercussions for the Egyptian economy and Suez Canal revenues.
In recent years, Cairo has pursued a foreign policy based on avoiding direct military involvement in regional crises, while focusing on diplomatic tools and strengthening mediation roles in several files, including Gaza, Libya and Sudan. At the same time, it has sought to maintain balanced relations with different regional powers.
Observers believe the Egyptian reservations also reflect Cairo’s desire to avoid being drawn into open conflicts amid a highly complex regional environment, particularly as regional polarisation continues and international interests overlap in the Red Sea and strategic waterways.
The position also reflects Cairo’s determination to distinguish between its commitment to security in the Red Sea, which represents a direct strategic interest, and participation in combat-oriented coalitions that could widen the scope of the brewing regional war.
Last Thursday, the Saudi Ministry of Defence announced that 14 countries, including Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Qatar and Jordan, had issued a joint statement supporting a proposal to establish a multinational defensive maritime coalition aimed at enhancing maritime security and protecting international sea lanes.
In a statement, the ministry said the kingdom hosted a meeting attended by “chiefs of staff, representatives of sisterly and friendly countries, and the Delegation of the European Union to the Kingdom, to discuss the Kingdom’s initiative to establish the multinational defensive maritime coalition, as part of efforts to enhance maritime security, protect international sea lanes, and address threats targeting maritime navigation and global trade”.
Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari
