Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has declared that his presidency will end in 2030, ruling out further constitutional changes to extend his tenure while announcing a programme to prepare a new generation of national leaders. Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy on 17 October 2026, Sisi said the end of his term was settled and would not be subject to further discussion. According to Reuters, the 71-year-old former army chief also outlined plans to use the period before 2030 to train prospective leaders for senior public positions, including the presidency, government ministries, governorates and parliament. Sisi has governed Egypt since 2014 and was re-elected in December 2023 for a six-year term under constitutional amendments approved in 2019.
The proposed initiative will place the Egyptian Military Academy at the centre of a 30-month leadership development programme targeting qualified candidates, particularly doctorate holders from recognised Egyptian and international universities. Sisi said participants would study how the state operates, manages its resources and protects national institutions. According to Egypt’s state-owned Al-Ahram Online, the programme could accommodate between 200 and 1,000 candidates and involve more than 7,500 hours of training, with the armed forces covering the cost. A committee led by the speaker of parliament, alongside intellectuals, politicians and the ministers of higher education and justice, is expected to establish selection criteria and prepare the necessary legislation. However, details of how graduates would enter electoral contests or be selected for appointed positions remain unclear.
The announcement places Egypt’s succession planning under renewed scrutiny, particularly given the military’s extensive role in the country’s political and economic affairs. Sisi came to power after the military ousted President Mohamed Morsi in 2013, following mass protests, and has since presided over a system in which the armed forces maintain significant influence beyond national defence. While the president presents the academy programme as a way to develop capable leaders and support an orderly transition, the central role assigned to a military institution raises questions about how candidates will be selected and how political competition will operate. Reuters reported that Sisi gave no detailed explanation of how graduates would be presented to voters. His commitment to leave office in 2030 therefore establishes a stated timetable for the end of his presidency, while the programme’s eventual structure and implementation will help determine how Egypt prepares for its next leadership transition.
