Sisi says Egypt paid heavy price for stability, urges focus on facts

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said on Monday that Egypt had paid a heavy human and financial price to maintain stability, urging citizens to examine government decisions and achievements through facts and data.

Speaking at the opening of Egypt Forum 2026 in the New Capital, Sisi said the government would present detailed information on its achievements, the conditions before and after development projects, and the potential consequences of not implementing the measures it had taken.

The forum was attended by House of Representatives Speaker Hisham Badawi, Senate Speaker Essam El-Din Farid, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly, ministers, and senior state officials.

Sisi said the forum had been organised to provide accurate and comprehensive government data, encourage discussion, and allow different viewpoints and criticism to be heard.

He also stressed the importance of public awareness and warned against what he described as attempts to undermine Egypt’s national memory, particularly through social media. Such efforts had existed before 2014 and were unlikely to end, given Egypt’s population and strategic importance, he said.

Sisi described the issue as a struggle involving both the state and its citizens, adding that attempts to marginalise Egypt or undermine its role would continue.

His repeated references to the events of 2011 were intended to reinforce public awareness and remind younger generations, particularly those who had not experienced that period, of the importance of preserving the Egyptian state, he said.

The president also added that differences of opinion were legitimate, but maintaining the state was a red line.

Sisi said the stability Egypt had achieved in recent years had come at a cost, including the deaths of members of the armed forces, police and judiciary, as well as worshippers in mosques and churches.

The country had also committed substantial financial resources to restoring stability and combating terrorism, he said.

He urged Egyptians to remember the security challenges experienced between 2011 and 2013, arguing that the importance of stability should remain firmly embedded in public consciousness.

Addressing concerns about social media raised at the forum, Sisi called for moderation in the use of technology and warned against efforts to isolate individuals or mobilise groups in ways that could harm the country.

He also highlighted the responsibility of families to balance technological progress with supervision of their children’s use of digital platforms and other technologies.

Government to present achievements and alternatives

Sisi said the forum would review developments across various sectors, allowing citizens to compare conditions before and after government initiatives and assess what had been achieved in light of the country’s resources and circumstances.

The discussions were intended to help the public understand progress in addressing long-standing problems, as well as the challenges that remained, he said.

“Everyone eventually leaves, but Egypt remains,” Sisi said, stressing the importance of safeguarding the state beyond the tenure of any individual or administration.

He said Egypt had embarked on a phase of state-building in recent years despite the risks associated with the decisions taken during that period.

The country’s population had increased by nearly 30 million since 2011, he added, highlighting the scale of the challenges facing the government.

Sisi urged citizens to examine the details and data presented at the forum, saying the government would explain the measures it had taken, what might have happened without those decisions and its plans for the future.