Egypt's parliament is expected to vote this week on whether to authorise the armed forces to help defend Saudi Arabia against attacks by Yemen's Houthis if Riyadh requests its support.

The move would bring the Arab world's most populous country closer to direct military involvement in the widening conflicts unleashed by the US-Israeli air assault on Iran in February.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi requested the approval in a speech on Saturday, saying Egypt would "never, never forget our brothers in the Gulf" and telling Saudi Arabia's leaders that Cairo would "take any measure to protect you".

Like the Gulf states that have come under attack from Tehran in the Iran war, Egypt is a longstanding partner in the security order that is being tested by the conflict.

WHAT'S AT STAKE FOR EGYPT?

Egypt's economic stability has long been tied up with the oil-producing Gulf. Remittances from Egyptian expatriate workers there are an important source of foreign currency and income for families back home at a time of double-digit inflation worsened by surging food and fuel prices.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have been among Sisi's key financial backers, providing tens of billions of dollars of aid, central bank deposits and investments.

WHAT ABOUT SECURITY?

Growing security concerns have also pushed Cairo towards a more active stance, analysts say. A drone strike was reported on two gas vessels at a port in the Egyptian city of Damietta in July.

WHAT SORT OF MILITARY DOES EGYPT BRING TO THE TABLE?

Egypt has one of the Arab world's largest armed forces, with hundreds of thousands of active personnel and large air, land and naval inventories, according to military analysts. Egypt sources equipment from a range of countries, and its air force operates US-made F-16s, French Rafales and Russian-made MiG-29s.

Egypt also contributed air and naval forces to the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015, and conducted airstrikes against Daesh terrorist targets in Libya during that country’s civil war.