Saturday, 18 July 2026
Egypt’s Sisi inaugurates new state strategic command HQ
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al‑Sisi on Saturday attended a ceremony marking the opening of the state’s new strategic command headquarters in the country’s new capital, the presidency said.
Motorcycle units and mounted guards escorted Sisi’s convoy as he arrived at the facility, where he was received by Defence Minister Ashraf Salem Zahr, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Ahmed Khalifa, and the heads of the military’s main branches, the presidential spokesman said. Sisi then rode in an open vehicle to the main ceremony platform amid a 21‑gun salute and an Apache helicopter flyover.
The ceremony began with a Quran recitation, followed by a musical performance and a documentary on the new headquarters. Sisi later handed the Egyptian Armed Forces flag, topped with a Quran, to the honour guard commander in preparation for its raising over the new complex.
Sisi also signed the official document inaugurating the command headquarters and pressed the button to raise the national flag as artillery fired an 11‑gun salute. Air force aerobatic teams then performed overhead before the president returned to the main platform, where he watched a parade that included an open bus carrying children.
In a speech marking both the opening and the 13th anniversary of the June 30 uprising, Sisi said the new headquarters symbolised the capabilities of Egypt’s “new republic” and represented a qualitative leap in command, control and crisis management. He said it would strengthen the state’s ability to handle emergencies and safeguard national security.
Sisi said the command centre embodied Egypt’s resolve to protect its territory, declaring national security a “red line” and stressing that the country would not tolerate threats to its sovereignty while remaining committed to peace.
Reflecting on the 2013 protests that ousted the Muslim Brotherhood‑led government, Sisi paid tribute to Egyptians for “defending the identity of the state” and praised the military and police for their sacrifices in confronting terrorism.
He said Egypt had endured a succession of crises, from post‑2011 turmoil to the war on extremism, the Covid‑19 pandemic, the Ukraine conflict, the war in Gaza, and most recently the conflict in Iran. He noted the economic repercussions, including the loss of more than $10 billion in Suez Canal revenues due to recent attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
Sisi praised international efforts to halt regional conflicts and expressed appreciation to US President Donald Trump for helping broker the “Sharm el‑Sheikh agreement” on Gaza and a ceasefire with Iran. He called for full implementation of both agreements.
The president reiterated that lasting stability in the Middle East required a comprehensive peace that ends the Palestinian‑Israeli conflict and leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Sisi said Egypt would continue its push for development, highlighting the upcoming installation of the pressure vessel for the second reactor at the Dabaa nuclear power plant. He thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for what he described as sustained cooperation on the project.