President of Egypt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Presidential Standard
Presidential seal
Incumbent Abdel Fattah el-Sisi since 8 June 2014
Style	His/Her Excellency
Residence	Heliopolis Palace, Cairo, Egypt
Term length	Six years Renewable once
Precursor	King of Egypt and the Sudan
Formation	18 June 1953
First holder	Mohamed Naguib
Succession	Line of succession
Deputy	Vice-President of Egypt
Salary	LE 2,224,548 (approx. US$72,000) annually

The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the country's head of state. This means they are the top leader of Egypt. The president also chooses the head of government.

The president is also the top commander of the Armed Forces. They lead the executive branch of the Egyptian government.

Since Egypt became a republic in 1953, six people have been president.

• Mohamed Naguib was the first president.
• Then came Gamal Abdel Nasser.
• After him was Anwar Sadat.
• Hosni Mubarak followed Sadat.
• Then Mohamed Morsi became president.
• The current president is Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who took office on June 8, 2014.

History of Egypt's Presidents

Egypt's first president was Mohamed Naguib. He, along with Gamal Abdel Nasser, led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. This revolution ended the rule of King Farouk and British control.

After the revolution, King Farouk's young son was named King Fuad II. But the real power was with Naguib and the Revolutionary Command Council. On June 18, 1953, the Council ended the monarchy. They declared Egypt a republic, and Mohamed Naguib became its first president.

Mohamed Naguib, Egypt's first president

Naguib resigned in November 1954. This happened after disagreements with younger military officers who were part of the revolution. The presidency was empty until January 1956. That's when Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected president.

Nasser remained president of Egypt until he passed away suddenly in September 1970. He was also president of the United Arab Republic, which existed from 1958 to 1971.

Anwar Sadat took over after Nasser. He was Nasser's vice president. Sadat was elected president in October 1970. He served until he was assassinated in October 1981. Sadat won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978. He shared it with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for starting peace talks between Egypt and Israel.

Sadat's vice president, Hosni Mubarak, became president next. Mubarak was elected and stayed in office for almost 30 years.

During the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, Mubarak was forced to step down. This happened after huge protests across the country. On February 10, 2011, Mubarak gave his presidential powers to his vice president, Omar Suleiman. However, Suleiman's time in power was very short. The presidency then became officially empty. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces took control of the country.

On June 30, 2012, Mohamed Morsi became President of Egypt. He was part of the Muslim Brotherhood. Morsi won the 2012 Egyptian presidential election. He was the first president to be chosen only by popular vote. But Morsi's presidency was short. He was removed from office on July 3, 2013, after large protests against his rule.

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was the Defense Minister under Morsi. He kept his job after Morsi was removed. In 2014, Sisi left the Egyptian Armed Forces. He then won the 2014 Egyptian presidential election. He became president on June 8, 2014. He was re-elected in 2018. In April 2019, Egypt's parliament changed the presidential term from four to six years. This change also allowed President Sisi to run for a third term. In December 2023, President Sisi won the 2023 Egyptian presidential election for his third term. He started this term in April 2024.

How Presidents Were Chosen Before 2005

Before 2005, the way Egypt chose its president was different. It was similar to how France chose its president. First, the Egyptian parliament, called the National Assembly, would suggest one candidate for president. This candidate needed at least two-thirds of the votes from the Assembly to be nominated. Then, all eligible voters in the country would vote. They would confirm the candidate in office. This system was used for many years.

Changes to Presidential Elections in 2005

In 2005, Egypt made important changes to its constitution. These changes made the presidential election process more open.

• Citizens who could vote now directly elected the president. They used a secret ballot.
• More than one candidate could run for president. This gave people more choices.
• A special "Presidential Election Commission" was created. This group is independent and supervises the entire election.
• Judges also supervise the voting process to make sure it's fair.

To win, a candidate must get more than half of the votes. If no one gets a majority, the top two candidates have a second election. The person with the most votes in the second round becomes president.

What the President Does

The President of Egypt has many important jobs.

• The president is the head of the country and the head of the government.
• They work with the prime minister and the cabinet to set the country's main policies. They also make sure these policies are carried out.
• The president represents Egypt in other countries. They can sign treaties with other nations.
• If the parliament is not meeting, the president can issue laws. These laws must be approved by the parliament later.
• The president is the supreme commander of the armed forces.
• They also have the power to pardon people. In emergencies, they can use special powers.

Becoming President

Elections for president happen within 60 days before the current president's term ends.

Who Can Be President?

To become president, a person must meet certain requirements:

• They must be an Egyptian citizen.
• Both of their parents must be Egyptian. They cannot have dual nationality (citizenship of two countries).
• They must have served in the military or been excused from it.
• They must be at least 40 years old.

To officially become a candidate, a person needs support. They must get:

• Recommendations from 20 members of the House of Representatives.
• OR support from 25,000 people across 15 different areas (governorates) of Egypt. At least 1,000 signatures must come from each area.

The Election Commission

The "Presidential Election Commission" is a group that oversees the election. It is made up of ten members. The chief justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court leads this commission. Other members are senior judges and five independent public figures.

This commission handles everything about the election. This includes:

• Accepting candidates.
• Announcing who is running.
• Supervising the voting.
• Counting the votes.
• Announcing the results.

Their decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

Taking the Oath of Office

Before starting their job, the president must take an oath. This is a promise they make. The oath says: "I swear by God the Almighty to sincerely maintain the Republican system, to respect the Constitution and law, to fully care about the interests of the people, and to maintain the independence and territorial integrity of the Homeland."

How Long a President Serves

Under the current rules, the president serves for a term of six years. A president can serve for a maximum of two terms. However, there was a special change in 2019. This change allowed the current president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, to extend his current term to six years and also run for a third term.

While in office, the president cannot be an official member of a political party.

If a new president is chosen before the old president's term ends, the old president stays in office until their term is finished.

What Happens if the President Can't Serve?

If the president is temporarily unable to do their job, they can give their powers to the vice president or the prime minister. However, this person has limited power. They cannot dissolve the parliament, change the constitution, or remove the cabinet.

If the president's office becomes permanently empty, the Speaker of the People's Assembly takes over temporarily. If the People's Assembly is not meeting, the President of the Supreme Constitutional Court takes over. Neither of these temporary leaders can run for president themselves. They also have limited powers.

The People's Assembly then announces that the office is empty. A new president must be chosen within 60 days.

It has been a tradition for the People's Assembly to nominate a vice president to fill the vacant presidential office. Both Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak were vice presidents when the presidency became empty.

Resigning from Office

A president can resign by giving their resignation to the People's Assembly. Gamal Abdel Nasser resigned after Egypt's defeat in the Six-Day War. But he took back his resignation after many Egyptians protested. President Mubarak also resigned on February 11, 2011, during large protests against his rule.

Where the President Lives and Works

The President of Egypt uses eight official homes and other guest houses. The main official home and office is Heliopolis Palace in Cairo.

Other presidential palaces include:

• Abdeen Palace, in Old Cairo;
• Koubbeh Palace, in Cairo;
• Ras Al-Teen Palace, in Alexandria;
• Montaza Palace, in Alexandria;
• Al-Tahra Palace, in Cairo;
• Al-Oroba Palace, in Cairo.

List of Presidents

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Presidentes de Egipto para niños

• List of heads of state of Egypt, for a full list of Egypt's leaders since 1805
• Lists of rulers of Egypt