Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi was sworn in for a third term on Tuesday, marking a decade in office for the former army general whose rule has fundamentally changed the most populous Arab nation.
He was sworn into office in front of parliament, as a 21-gun salute rang out.
“I have vowed from the first day … to make the security of Egypt and the safety of its dear people and the realisation of progress and development to be my only choice,” said the Egyptian President in a speech.
Mr El Sisi was re-elected in December for a six-year term that, barring unforeseen developments, will have given him a total of 16 years in office in 2030.
The swearing-in ceremony took place in the New Administrative Capital, the multi-billion-dollar ultra-modern city in the desert east of Cairo that has become a potent symbol of Mr El Sisi’s rule but also the often-maligned project critics cite as an example of his government’s lavish spending on non-vital enterprises.
The new capital is one of many mega projects that Mr El Sisi has undertaken and personally overseen as part of his ambitious vision for a modern Egypt that included the construction of hundreds of bridges, thousands of kilometres of new roads, more than a dozen new cities and an expansion of the Suez Canal.
Critics have blamed these projects, together with what they view as reckless borrowing and mismanagement of resources, for the economic downturn that rocked Egypt before a major infusion of funds from external sources began to fill its empty coffers over the past month.
Mr El Sisi and his government have stood by their policies, blaming the crisis on the coronavirus pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and, more recently, the Gaza war across Egypt’s eastern border.
“I am doing the maximum that I can. If I am successful, the credit should go to God’s generosity,” he recently said in televised comments. “If I don’t succeed, then the fault is mine and I take responsibility before God.”
Mr El Sisi, born and raised in one of Cairo’s oldest neighbourhoods in the city’s medieval quarter, has defined his rule in part by frequent religious references. But his religious piety and public humility belie a leader whose rule has been characterised by near-zero tolerance for dissent and the authorities' heavy-handedness when dealing with it.
He has, in the meantime, also proved to have a pair of safe hands that protected Egypt from the political upheavals and violence engulfing the region, with neighbouring Sudan torn by civil war, Libya to the west divided and mired in instability, and Gaza to the east devastated by an Israeli war nearing its six-month mark.
He is also credited with shepherding the country of 106 million through some of its most difficult years in the aftermath of a 2011 popular uprising that rocked the very foundations of the nation and gave rise to political turmoil.
As defence minister, he led the military’s 2013 removal of an Islamist president – Mohamed Morsi– whose one-year rule proved divisive.
The removal of Mr Morsi was followed by what many in Egypt see as one of the harshest crackdowns against the opposition in living memory, with authorities detaining thousands of his supporters and hundreds of the secular activists behind the 2011 uprising.
Mr El Sisi also dealt with a wave of deadly terror attacks blamed on militants centred in the north-east corner of the Sinai Peninsula.
Recently, however, the President has approved the release of hundreds of critics held in pretrial detention and launched a national dialogue that brought together politicians, MPs, experts, and academics to try to chart the nation’s new path.
The government adopted some of the recommendations reached by participants, but the process did not significantly influence policies pursued by the government.
However, more encouraging signs have emerged in recent weeks.
“There is improvement on the front of rights and liberties, but it depends on one’s definition of improvement,” said Negad Borai, a veteran rights campaigner and one of the national dialogue’s 19 trustees.
“There are still many loose ends. They have released hundreds but there are still many more still held in pretrial detention. They have unblocked some of the independent online news sites and are tolerating criticism of the government on social media platforms,” he added.
Additionally, small pro-Palestinian demonstrations restricted to the steps leading to the Journalists Union in Cairo have been tolerated as well as a small demonstration marking Women’s Day last month.
“The government privately acknowledges that the security measures and repression in the early years of President El Sisi’s rule were too harsh and maybe even wrong but were needed to stabilise the country. In contrast, it is standing firmly by its economic policies,” said Mr Borai.
President El Sisi has frequently voiced his contempt for politics and seized every chance to air his view that human rights must not be restricted to the right of assembly or freedom of speech. More important, he often argued, is the right to housing, jobs, health care, and education.
He owes his third term in office to constitutional amendments proposed by a parliament packed with his supporters and adopted in a national referendum in 2019.
Before the changes, the constitution stipulated that no president could serve more than two four-year terms in office.
The amendments kept the two-term cap but extended the term to six years and, in a clause especially added for his benefit, deemed the first of his two terms in office to have begun in 2018, not 2014 when he was first elected.
And as was the case in 2018, when he ran against an obscure politician, Mr El Sisi – the latest in a line of military men who ruled Egypt since the monarchy was overthrown some 70 years ago – again ran in December against three little-known politicians, winning 89.6 per cent of the vote.
But while critics question Mr El Sisi’s commitment to western democratic values, the Egyptian leader is credited with changing his country on various levels.
With the government waiting on his every word, his views have been embraced as the ideological underpinning of changes that have touched many fields, from filmmaking, divorce, and modernising the religious discourse to healthy living, morality, and law and order.
“Egypt is a fundamentally different place than it was 10 years ago,” said Michael Hanna, a prominent Middle East expert from the International Crisis Group.
“President El Sisi has created a regime that’s new and different from what was there before him. And it has been sustainable thus far.
“The main threat it faces will always be the economy. The recent infusion of billions of dollars to salvage the economy only buys time. Structural changes to the economy and how it’s run are needed,” said the New York-based Mr Hanna.
“There’s also a lurking danger from the lack of real opposition and legitimate ways for people to channel their views.”
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Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
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Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
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Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
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The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
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Match info:
Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Groom and Two Brides
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
CREW
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