Egypt - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Egypt cover image

Egypt

September 13, 2026

Cairo 5:24 am

23°C

El Alamein International Airshow

Turkey’s defense giants court Egypt at Alamein Airshow: What to know

Three leading Turkish defense companies are participating in the El Alamein Airshow as Ankara seeks new sales and closer military-industrial cooperation with Egypt.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (c) held talks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides (l) and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (r) in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 8, 2026.

Egypt's Sisi hosts Greece, Cyprus leaders for energy talks: What to know

The three-way summit in Cairo follows electricity and gas deals between the three countries as Egypt addresses its gas production struggles.

Latest News

Xi makes first Egypt visit in decade as Cairo gets caught in US-China AI row

Vehicles drive beneath a large screen displaying portraits of Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Cairo on Aug. 31, 2026.

Analysis

How Ethiopia’s new dams test Egypt’s ability to defend its Nile red lines

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

Eli Siegel-Bernstein

By Eli Siegel-Bernstein

China's Xi to visit Egypt for first time in decade as military, Huawei ties grow

Jade Gao/Getty Images

Beatrice Farhat

Associate Editor (Lebanon)

In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict

Jonathan Fenton-Harvey

In London, reporting on North Africa and Gulf politics

Mohammed Magdy

In Berlin, reporting on Egyptian politics

Ayah Aman

In Cairo, reporting on politics and culture

Salwa Samir

In Giza, reporting on politics

Nada Shaker

In Cairo, reporting on culture

TOPSHOT - A voter casts her ballot at a polling station in a school in the district of Agouza in the Egyptian capital's twin city of Giza on the first day of the 2025 Egyptian Senate elections on August 4, 2025. Egypt's two-day vote beginning on August 4 will elect 200 of the 300 seats in the upper chamber of parliament, with the remaining third appointed directly by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the former army chief who came to power after ousting Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. (Photo by Khal

Egypt holds second Senate vote as pro-Sisi parties dominate: What to know

The Senate elections, dominated by pro-Sisi government parties, feature fewer party list and individual candidates compared to elections held in 2020.

JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images

Egypt inks offshore oil and gas deals with Eni, BP: What to know

Egypt faces growing energy vulnerability due to declining natural gas production and heavy reliance on imported supplies.

A NASAMS surface-to-air missile launcher is seen in production at the assembly line of the Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace weapons factory in Kongsberg, Norway on Jan. 30, 2023.

US approves $4.67B NASAMS air defense package for Egypt

The State Department announced the massive arms sale after Trump suggested the US may re-engage diplomatically with Egypt and Ethiopia, resurrecting a bid to resolve a yearslong dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Egyptian blogger and activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah exits the police headquarters in Cairo following his release on December 25, 2011.

What to make of Egypt's removal of Alaa Abdel-Fattah from terror list

An Egyptian court has removed a prominent jailed activist from the country's terrorism list amid scrutiny over Egypt’s human rights record under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Boats sail near the shore in the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of El-Gouna, on Nov. 1, 2024.

Egypt pitches new investment plan to US firms: What to know

Egypt is hunting foreign investment as part of its Vision 2030 strategy for sustainable development.

KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images

Culture

Copts, Nubians, and Berbers fight to keep Egypt’s endangered languages alive

Far from Cairo’s bustle, Egypt’s minority communities are fighting to preserve their ancient languages against the tide of Arabization and cultural loss.

Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly (R) meets with China's Premier Li Qiang at his office in Cairo on July 10, 2025.

Egypt banks on Beijing as premier visit seals yuan, payment deals

The deals were announced during the visit by a senior Chinese delegation led by the country’s premier to Cairo this week.

Egypt's Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly (L) welcomes China's Premier Li Qiang upon his arrival at Cairo International Airport in Egypt's capital, on July 9, 2025.

China’s premier makes first visit to Egypt as ties grow: What we know

Egypt and China have significantly deepened their ties in recent years across various sectors such as trade, defense, technology and the economy.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto pose for a family photo.

Egypt urges BRICS to deepen financial ties after Trump threatens tariffs

Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly said that due to the global decline in multilateralism and crises engulfing the world, members of the bloc of developing nations should bolster their financial and economic ties.

Hisham Ezz Al Arab CIB CEO

Interview

How Red Sea attacks prepared Egypt’s economy for future shocks

The CEO of Egypt's third-largest bank tells Al-Monitor why he is hopeful about the country's economic recovery.

Hisham Ezz Al-Arab

Hisham Ezz Al-Arab

CEO, Commercial International Bank

General view of the opening session of the 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum at the Federal Senate in Brazil, taken on June 4, 2025.

Analysis

At Brazil summit, BRICS welcomes new Middle East members as divisions continue

A year after formally joining at the Kazan summit, Iran, Egypt and the UAE attend their first BRICS summit hosted outside Russia — as Saudi Arabia continues to weigh whether to join.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran