Yemen and the Red Sea

Saudi crown prince to meet Egypt's president in Cairo as Houthis hold the Red Sea coast

DIPLOMACY
Location
Cairo, Egypt
Actors
Saudi Arabia
Importance
Notable

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was scheduled to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo on 15 September 2026. The meeting follows Houthi gains along Yemen's Red Sea coast and around the Bab al-Mandab strait, and comes a day after the crown prince received US Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper in Jeddah, with Saudi national security adviser Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban present. No agenda or outcome has been published.

Why it matters

The two states that pay the direct cost of a closed Bab al-Mandab — one in security, one in canal revenue — are coordinating at head-of-state level in the same week Cairo refused to deal with the Houthis directly.

Verification: Probable

Evidence: Iran War Updates: Oil prices stay above $100 per barrel as Oman-Iran talks on Strait of Hormuz postponed

Scheduled meeting reported in a live news blog; no readout, agenda or joint statement published at the time of writing.