Nature abhors a void. As the US begins to withdraw from Egyptian involvement, the Saudis are taking a huge role. They are becoming the new paymaster to the Egyptian army and are subsiding the economy heavily. The Egyptians don’t have much choice. They cannot afford not to pay the military and if the price of food rises, there will be even worse riots. Ironically the philosophy of the dominant Wahhabi in Saudi Arabia is very close to that of the Muslim Brotherhood. However the Saudis see themselves as the head of a new Caliphate and the natural leaders of the Sunnis. Control over Egypt for them is critical and for now they are willing to pay. Should be interesting.
I’m ok with the Saudis supporting them. The billions they spend propping up that economiy is billions that might otherwise go to terror. The Saudis and the whole middle east are getting squeezed by the surge in non-opec oil development, so they can’t do a whole lot of expansion, just tread water.