Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Saturday that he would leave office when his current term ends in 2030, ruling out any further constitutional amendments to extend his rule as he also pledged to defend Saudi Arabia’s security and sovereignty if requested.
“The year 2030 will mark the end of my presidential term. This matter is completely settled,” Sisi said during a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy in the New Administrative Capital, according to state-run Al-Ahram newspaper.
“I said that the Egyptian constitution would not be touched,” he added. “This is an entirely settled matter and will not be discussed.”
The 71-year-old president, a former army general who has led Egypt since 2014, is serving a six-year term after winning re-election in December 2023. Constitutional amendments approved in a 2019 referendum extended presidential terms from four years to six and allowed Sisi to seek an additional term, enabling him to remain in office until 2030.
The amendments reshaped Egypt’s presidential limits and drew criticism from opponents who warned they would consolidate power in the hands of the president.
Sisi came to power in 2013 after the military ousted Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president, following mass protests against his rule. Sisi subsequently won the presidency in 2014 and has maintained a tight grip on the country’s political system.
His latest remarks appeared aimed at ending speculation about whether he might seek another constitutional change to remain in power beyond his current mandate.
Sisi also spoke about the role of the military and the need to prepare a new generation of leaders, linking the armed forces to the protection of Egypt’s constitutional order and state institutions.
He said the constitution defines the military’s responsibility to safeguard democracy, the constitutional framework and the fundamental pillars of the state.
“I will not leave the Egyptian state until it is brimming with its own people capable of shouldering responsibility,” Sisi said, referring to efforts to prepare younger generations to take on leadership roles through the Egyptian Military Academy.
The comments did not provide further details about how the transition to new leadership would be managed or what role Sisi might play after leaving office.
Egypt pledges support for Saudi Arabia
Sisi also declared that Egypt was prepared to take any measures requested by Saudi Arabia to protect the kingdom’s security and sovereignty, underscoring Cairo’s stated commitment to the defense of its Gulf partners.
“We will take any measure to protect Saudi Arabia,” he said, adding that he would call on parliament to convene an emergency session to authorize such action if Riyadh requested it.
“We stand firmly to protect and defend the territories of our brothers in the Gulf,” he added.
Sisi did not specify what measures Egypt might take or identify a particular threat that would prompt such a response.