Egypt in September 2026: the most important developments in politics
In September 2026 Egypt's politics were dominated by regional diplomacy. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Cairo on September 15 for talks with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Sisi said Saudi and Gulf security was integral to Egypt's national security, Egypt condemned continued attacks on Saudi Arabia, and the two leaders called for free navigation through key straits. Throughout the month Egypt condemned attacks on Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, including on a Saudi pipeline, and held a joint military exercise with Saudi Arabia on September 10. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo rejects the use of straits and maritime routes as tools of pressure.
Gaza and the Palestinians formed the second theme. Sisi rejected the displacement of Palestinians repeatedly: on September 2 with Xi Jinping, on September 8 with the Greek prime minister and the Cypriot president, and on September 16 in Cairo with Mahmoud Abbas, when he said Egypt was working with mediators on a Gaza ceasefire. Egypt launched its 285th aid convoy to Gaza by September 28. On September 21 it warned that an Israeli incursion into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound could fuel regional escalation, and on September 24 Abdelatty said Cairo had seen no positive Israeli stance on the second phase of the Gaza plan. Hamas and Palestinian factions met in Cairo to discuss elections and unity.
Egypt also pursued ties with major powers. Xi Jinping made a state visit on September 1 and 2, his first in a decade, and proposed a new security framework for the Middle East. Sisi led a delegation to the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 11 and 12, and he met the CIA director in Cairo on September 20 to discuss the Iranian crisis. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly led the delegation to the UN General Assembly, and Egypt hosted a trilateral defence meeting with Greece and Cyprus.
On Sudan, Sisi said its security was a red line. Egypt also presented a new case against Ethiopia in the Nile dam dispute and said it would not accept new dams. At home a court sentenced presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 others to death in a drug case on September 5, and parliament delayed the new Criminal Procedures Law by one year on September 30.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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