“Egyptian fighter planes arrive in Saudi Arabia.” What is the truth about the video circulating?

A video clip spread on social media claiming to show scenes of the moment Egyptian fighters flew over the sky of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, after President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called on Parliament to approve his request for a mandate to provide military support to the Kingdom during the escalation of Houthi attacks in Yemen. Publications claimed that the footage circulated on several platforms, including the X website, showed the arrival of Egyptian fighter planes in Saudi Arabia.

The video has received millions of views, prompted by a misleading description that says: “The moment Egyptian fighters arrived in the skies of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to defend the Kingdom from Houthi attacks.” By dividing the video into still shots and using a reverse search, it was found that there were many versions published at different times, some at the beginning of this year, and others last August.

Although it is difficult to find the oldest version of the video, the multiple dates of its publication confirm that it is old and not related to recent developments. The video returned to circulation coinciding with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s request from the House of Representatives for a mandate to support Saudi Arabia, while Parliament is still in session regarding this move.

The (official) General Information Service said on Monday that the House of Representatives intends to hold a plenary session next Monday “to complete the discussion on the President of the Republic’s request for authorization to support Saudi Arabia,” after it was expected that the House would issue a decision this week. According to Article 152 of the Egyptian Constitution, the country’s president does not declare war or send forces outside the state’s borders except after taking the opinion of the National Defense Council and the approval of the House of Representatives by a two-thirds majority of members.

Sisi said on Saturday that Egypt would implement any measure to protect Saudi Arabia, calling on Parliament to hold an emergency session to authorize it to do so. While the Houthi group in Yemen warned that “Egypt sliding down this path will pose a serious threat to its national security and internal stability before others,” according to a letter from the Speaker of the House of Representatives (affiliated with the Houthis) to his Egyptian counterpart, on Saturday.