Egypt has had six official presidents since it became a republic in 1953. This includes the first president, Mohamed Naguib, followed by Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sadat, Hosni Mubarak, and Mohamed Morsi.
Additionally, there were two interim leaders: Sufi Abu Taleb, who acted briefly after Sadat’s assassination, and Adly Mansour, who served after Morsi’s removal. The current president is Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who has been in office since 2014.
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Here’s the complete list of all Egypt presidents, Including the acting:
| Name | Tenure | Political Party |
|---|---|---|
| Mohamed Naguib | 18 June 1953 – 14 November 1954 | Military / Liberation Rally |
| Gamal Abdel Nasser | 14 November 1954 – 28 September 1970 | Military |
| Anwar Sadat | 28 September 1970 – 6 October 1981 | Arab Socialist Union / National Democratic Party |
| Sufi Abu Taleb | 6 October 1981 – 14 October 1981 | National Democratic Party |
| Hosni Mubarak | 14 October 1981 – 11 February 2011 | National Democratic Party |
| Mohamed Morsi | 30 June 2012 – 3 July 2013 | Freedom and Justice Party |
| Adly Mansour | 4 July 2013 – 8 June 2014 | Independent |
| Abdel Fattah el-Sisi | 8 June 2014 – Present | Independent |
Which President Led Egypt To Independence?
The president who led Egypt to independence was Gamal Abdel Nasser. While Egypt declared limited independence from British rule on February 28, 1922, it wasn’t until the 1952 revolution that full independence was achieved.
This revolution, which Nasser played a big part in, ended British influence and established Egypt as a republic. Before the revolution, Nasser was involved in forming the “Association of Free Officers,” a group advocating for Egypt’s freedom and dignity.
This group included members from different political and social backgrounds, such as the Muslim Brotherhood and even the aristocracy. Nasser became the group’s leader and began preparing for a political change.
In the early 1950s, the political climate in Egypt was tense, and corruption within the ruling Wafd Party led to growing support for the Free Officers.
Nasser’s group expanded rapidly, but it wasn’t until 1952 that the time for action came. After widespread protests, including the Cairo Fire riots in January 1952, the Free Officers launched their coup on July 22, 1952.
They took control of government buildings, radio stations, and police stations across Cairo. Although Nasser was a lieutenant colonel at the time, he did not want to lead the country directly.
He selected General Mohamed Naguib to lead the coup in name, while he worked behind the scenes. The coup was successful, and on June 18, 1953, the monarchy was abolished, and the Republic of Egypt was declared with Naguib as the first president.
In the years following the revolution, Nasser was Instrumental in Egypt’s political and social reforms. He pushed for agrarian reforms, the abolition of the monarchy, and the restructuring of political parties.
Who Was The First President Of Egypt?
The first president of Egypt was Mohamed Naguib. He became president after the country declared itself a republic in 1953, following the revolution that overthrew the monarchy.
Naguib’s role in the revolution and the establishment of the Republic made him an important figure in Egypt’s history. Though he was often called the first native Egyptian ruler by Western media, Naguib disagreed with this label.
He felt that it oversimplified Egypt’s complex history and ignored the contributions of earlier rulers, including those from the Muhammad Ali dynasty.
Naguib emphasized that many of Egypt’s leaders, like those from the Fatimid and Ayyubid dynasties, were part of Egypt’s identity, even if they had non-Egyptian roots.
He believed that being Egyptian wasn’t about ancestry but about shared experiences and national pride. According to Naguib, he was the first president to rise from the ranks of the Egyptian people to lead the country.
However, Naguib began to show signs of independence from his fellow revolutionary leader, Gamal Abdel Nasser. He distanced himself from Nasser’s land reform policies and sought to engage with established political groups like the Wafd Party and the Muslim Brotherhood.
This growing independence led to a power struggle between Naguib and Nasser. In November 1954, Nasser won this struggle, forcing Naguib to resign from the presidency.
Following his resignation, Naguib was placed under house arrest for many years, although he was later released by President Anwar Sadat in 1971.
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Who Is The Current President Of Egypt?
The current President of Egypt is Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi, who took office on June 8, 2014. Born on November 19, 1954, Sisi is a former military officer who became involved in politics after the 2011 Egyptian revolution.
Following the election of Mohamed Morsi as president in 2012, Sisi was appointed as the Minister of Defense and Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces.
In 2013, after large protests against Morsi’s government, Sisi led a military coup that resulted in the ousting of Morsi. This action led to the violent dispersal of pro-Morsi protesters in Cairo, with tragic consequences.
The violence, particularly the Rabaa massacre, resulted in many civilian deaths and general arrests. Sisi has been described by many as an authoritarian leader.
He has won three presidential elections, each of which has faced accusations of electoral fraud and suppression of political opposition. Some critics believe his leadership is even more repressive than that of Egypt’s previous president, Hosni Mubarak.
In the 2014 presidential election, Sisi was sworn into office on June 8, and his reign continued after he was re-elected in 2018, with minimal opposition due to restrictions placed on other candidates. Sisi was re-elected for a third term in 2024 after winning the 2023 election.
Regardless of his leadership, Egypt has faced economic challenges, and his rule has been met with protests, including an online movement called the “Dignity Revolution,” which calls for greater political freedoms.
