Abdel Fattah el-Sisi facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids His Excellency Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
عبد الفتاح السیسي‎
Sisi in 2023

6th President of Egypt
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 June 2014
Prime Minister	Ibrahim Mahlab Sherif Ismail Mostafa Madbouly
Preceded by	Mohamed Morsi Adly Mansour (interim)
Deputy Prime Minister of Egypt
In office 16 July 2013 – 26 March 2014
Prime Minister	Hazem al-Beblawi Ibrahim Mahlab
17th Chairperson of the African Union
In office 10 February 2019 – 10 February 2020
Preceded by	Paul Kagame
Succeeded by	Cyril Ramaphosa
Minister of Defence
In office 12 August 2012 – 26 March 2014
Prime Minister	Hesham Qandil Hazem al-Beblawi Ibrahim Mahlab
Preceded by	Mohamed Hussein Tantawi
Succeeded by	Sedki Sobhy
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
In office 12 August 2012 – 26 March 2014
Preceded by	Mohamed Hussein Tantawi
Succeeded by	Sedki Sobhy
Director of Military Intelligence
In office 3 January 2010 – 12 August 2012
Preceded by	Murad Muwafi
Succeeded by	Mahmoud Hegazy

Personal details
Born	Abd el-Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi (1954-11-19) 19 November 1954 (age 70) Cairo, Egypt
Political party	Independent
Spouse	Entissar Amer (m. 1977)
Children	4, including Mahmoud
Parents	Said Hussein Khalili al-Sisi Soad Mohamed
Alma mater	Egyptian Military Academy
Signature
Military service
Branch/service	Egyptian Army
Years of service	1977–2014
Rank	Field marshal
Unit	Infantry
Battles/wars	Gulf War Sinai insurgency Second Libyan Civil War Yemeni Civil War

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian politician and a former military officer. He has been the sixth and current president of Egypt since 2014.

Before becoming president, Sisi was a general in the Egyptian military. He served as Egypt's deputy prime minister from 2013 to 2014. He was also the minister of defense from 2012 to 2013. From 2010 to 2012, he was the director of military intelligence. In January 2014, he was promoted to the highest military rank, Field Marshal.

Early Life and Military Training
Military Career (1977–2014)
Presidency (2014–present)
Recognition
- Military
- Civil
See Also

Early Life and Military Training

Sisi was born in Old Cairo on 19 November 1954. His parents were Said Hussein Khalili al-Sisi and Soad Mohamed. He grew up in a diverse neighborhood where different religions lived together peacefully.

He joined the Egyptian Military Academy. After graduating, he held many important roles in the Egyptian Armed Forces. He also worked as Egypt's military representative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He continued his military education in different countries. In 1987, he attended the Egyptian Command and Staff College. In 1992, he studied at the British Command and Staff College. Later, in 2006, he went to the United States Army War College.

During the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, Sisi was the youngest member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). He was in charge of military intelligence. In August 2012, he was chosen to become the commander-in-chief and Minister of Defense.

Sisi's family came from the Monufia Governorate. He was the second oldest of eight children. His father owned an antiques shop in the famous Khan el-Khalili market. Sisi and his siblings often studied at the library of al-Azhar University. After graduating from the Military Academy in 1977, he married his cousin, Entissar Amer.

Military Career (1977–2014)

Field Marshal Sisi as Minister of Defense, 2013

General al-Sisi (left) and then President Mohamed Morsi (right) in April 2013.

Demonstrations against President Morsi, June 2013

El-Sisi became a military officer in 1977. He worked in the mechanised infantry, focusing on anti-tank and mortar weapons. In 2008, he became the Commander of the Northern Military Region-Alexandria. Then, he became the Director of Military Intelligence. He was the youngest member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces of Egypt.

After the Egyptian revolution of 2011, Mohamed Morsi was elected president. Sisi was appointed Minister of Defense by Morsi in August 2012. As Minister of Defense, Sisi became the commander in chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces. In July 2013, Sisi took over leadership after large protests against President Morsi's rule. An interim president, Adly Mansour, was appointed. New leaders were chosen for the government.

After this change, there were many demonstrations and clashes between Morsi's supporters and security forces. These events led to many deaths. On 26 March 2014, Sisi left his military career. He announced he would run for president in the 2014 Egyptian presidential election. The election took place in May. Sisi won by a large margin, with 97% of the votes.

Presidency (2014–present)

Protesters outside 10 Downing Street in November 2015.

Sisi with U.S. President Joe Biden in July 2022.

Sisi with Indian PM Narendra Modi in January 2023.

Secretary Kerry and Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry with el-Sisi in Cairo.

Sisi and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev in January 2023.

Sisi, King Salman of Saudi Arabia and U.S. President Donald Trump in May 2017.

President Sisi with President Vladimir Putin in August 2014.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Sisi and US President Joe Biden in December 2022.

President Sisi officially took office on 8 June 2014. This day was a public holiday in Egypt. People celebrated his win across the country. His oath was taken at Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court. He then moved to the Heliopolis Palace for a reception with foreign leaders. Sisi gave a speech about Egypt's challenges and his plans. He promised a "total rise" for Egypt. He also signed a document to officially transfer power, a first in Egyptian history.

Economic Changes

El-Sisi listens as US Secretary of State Kerry speaks at a conference.

Egypt faced economic challenges when Sisi became president. He decided to raise fuel prices to reduce government spending on subsidies. Subsidies are government payments that keep prices low for basic goods and energy. These subsidies used to take up a large part of the state budget. Cutting them aimed to save money for services like health and education.

Sisi also increased taxes on items like alcohol and cigarettes. New property taxes were introduced. The government also planned to add a new value-added tax. These changes caused some prices to rise, like chicken and taxi fares. Cutting subsidies was a difficult decision. Previous leaders avoided it because many people in Egypt rely on government aid. Sisi said it was "bitter medicine" that was needed for Egypt's economy. He asked Egyptians to make sacrifices. He promised to fix the economy, which had been growing slowly. These economic changes helped improve Egypt's credit ratings. This showed that international financial groups had more trust in Egypt's economy.

Energy Policy

Egypt faced a big energy crisis before Sisi took office. There wasn't enough energy production for everyone. Power outages were common. Sisi's government worked to fix this. They signed a deal with General Electric (GE) for new power plants. This helped increase Egypt's electricity supply quickly.

Egypt also made long-term plans. They paid back money owed to foreign oil companies. They signed a large deal with Siemens to boost electricity generation. Another big energy deal was made with BP. Sisi said Egypt wants to become a "global hub for energy trading." This means Egypt wants to be a major center for buying and selling energy. In 2017, Sisi met with leaders from Cyprus and Greece. They discussed connecting their power grids with an underwater cable. This project, called the EuroAfrica Interconnector, is important for energy security.

National Projects

President Sisi speaking at the UK-Africa Investment Summit in London, 2020.

In August 2014, President Sisi started a project to expand the Suez Canal. A new parallel channel was built. This new canal helps more ships pass through each day. It is expected to greatly increase the canal's earnings. The project was completed quickly and funded only by Egyptian sources. The new canal opened on 6 August 2015.

Sisi also launched the Suez Canal Area Development Project. This plan includes building new seaports and industrial zones. It also involves new tunnels and a new city near Ismailia. Huge fish farms and a technology valley are also part of the plan.

Another big project is the National Roads Project. This involves building over 4,400 kilometers of new roads. These projects aim to create jobs and improve incomes for Egyptians. An ambitious plan was announced to build a new capital city near Cairo. This new city will help reduce population pressure in the greater Cairo area.

In 2016, Sisi set a goal to remove all unsafe slum areas. The first part of this project built 11,000 new homes. This was funded by a special development fund and charities. The goal is to build many more housing units. An agricultural plan called the "New Delta Project" also started. It aims to expand farming areas to increase Egypt's food supply.