President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said Egypt chose the “hardest and most lasting path” to address longstanding challenges when he assumed office in 2014, acknowledging the heavy burden citizens have borne during the country’s development and economic reform drive.
“The great Egyptian people endured the burdens of this phase with patience and resilience, and through their awareness and steadfastness, they were the real support for the state during its most difficult tests,” Al-Sisi said during the closing ceremony of Egypt Forum 2026 on Saturday.
Al-Sisi said Egypt faced unprecedented challenges when he took office, including security threats, deteriorating infrastructure, underperforming public services, chronic economic and administrative problems, and the need to restore confidence in state institutions.
The country had to choose between managing immediate crises and addressing structural problems at their roots, he said, adding that the government opted for comprehensive reform and development within accelerated timeframes.
“We chose, with God’s help and the will of this great people, to confront, reform and build,” Al-Sisi said, stressing that the process was intended to prevent longstanding problems from being passed on to future generations.
He acknowledged that the development drive had come at a significant cost to citizens, describing them as a cornerstone of the country’s development journey.
Al-Sisi also stressed that the government and its institutions were an integral part of Egyptian society, saying their role was to serve citizens, protect their interests and improve living standards within available resources and prevailing circumstances.
He warned against attempts to portray state institutions as separate from the people or in conflict with their interests, saying such efforts could undermine national cohesion and weaken the domestic front.
Annual event
Al-Sisi announced that Egypt Forum 2026 would be considered the forum’s first edition and that it would be held annually, with each edition focusing on a specific sector to review achievements, assess their impact and monitor progress towards established targets.
He said the forum would provide a platform for open dialogue between the government and different segments of society, adding that its decisions would be published on the forum’s official website and their implementation monitored by the Presidency.
The president said the value of dialogue lay in its ability to produce tangible decisions, stressing that the government’s responsibility extended beyond listening to criticism and proposals to carefully examining recommendations and translating those deemed effective into policies, programmes and practical measures.
He called on state institutions to coordinate to ensure the effective implementation of the forum’s recommendations, particularly measures aimed at easing the cost-of-living burden, improving public services and strengthening economic and social stability.
Al-Sisi also acknowledged that no human experience or development journey was free of lessons, mistakes or challenges, saying the government should remain committed to learning from them.
12 years of development
The closing ceremony featured a presentation by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly reviewing key developments between 2011 and 2014, followed by an interactive overview of projects and achievements implemented from 2014 to 2026.
Madbouly presented Al-Sisi with a book documenting the state’s achievements over the past 12 years.
The programme also included a presentation on Egypt’s development journey, a discussion of challenges facing the energy sector amid recent regional crises, and presentations by young influencers highlighting achievements in their respective fields.
Children under the age of 13 also took part in a film titled “The Dream of a Generation”, sharing their aspirations and vision for Egypt’s future.
During the ceremony, former Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker reviewed achievements in the energy sector, highlighting Al-Sisi’s personal role in securing favourable terms from international companies and addressing the electricity crisis that had affected the country.
In his closing remarks, Al-Sisi said the achievements in consolidating state institutions and establishing the foundations of the New Republic belonged to the Egyptian people as a whole, rather than the government alone.
He concluded that public awareness, resilience and national cohesion would remain essential to safeguarding the state and confronting challenges, while calling for continued efforts to ensure that development translates into tangible improvements in citizens’ daily lives.