Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned against ongoing attempts to destroy national memory and manipulate citizens through social media, declaring that while differing views are permissible, preserving the state remains an uncrossable line.
Sisi’s remarks came during his intervention on Monday morning at the opening session of the Egypt Forum 2026, held at the St. Regis Hotel convention centre in the New Administrative Capital. The event was attended by House of Representatives Speaker Hesham Badawi, Senate Speaker Essam El-Din Farid, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and various ministers and senior state officials.
Addressing the period of instability between 2011 and 2013, Sisi stressed that the stability achieved in recent years did not come without a cost, citing the blood of armed forces personnel, police, the judiciary, and civilian worshippers in mosques and churches, as well as the funds spent fighting terrorism. He noted that his repeated references to 2011 aim to summon memory and awareness, particularly for children and youth who did not experience that era, reinforcing the importance of stability in the public consciousness.
Commenting on the risks of social media, the president called for moderation, warning against coordinated efforts to isolate individuals and mobilise segments of the population to destroy their country. He urged Egyptian families to balance technological advancement with supervising their children’s digital consumption. Sisi described the attempts to influence and marginalise Egypt as an ongoing struggle fought by the state and its people, noting that similar efforts were prevalent prior to 2014.
Presidential Spokesman Ambassador Mohamed El-Shenawy stated that Sisi emphasised the forum’s priority is for the government to present accurate and complete data, listen to all opinions, and accept any criticism within that framework. Sisi urged citizens to closely follow the data being presented regarding past implementations, the consequences of inaction, and future plans.
The president noted that Egyptians have recently begun a genuine phase of state-building, undertaking decisions where risks were high but necessary, given a population increase of nearly 30m since 2011. He remarked that everyone leaves, while Egypt remains.
The opening session commenced with a Quranic recitation, followed by a sequence of films and segments titled “What We Expect from the Forum,” “Where We Started,” and “What Would You Say If You Met the President.” Prime Minister Madbouly delivered a presentation, succeeded by a film titled “Egypt in the Eyes of the World” and a segment on “What it Means to be Egyptian.” The first half concluded with a performance of the song “Masry” (Egyptian) by the Opera Children’s Choir, whom the president greeted.
El-Shenawy added that the second half of the session featured a presentation on “National Identity” and a segment titled “Gen Z: How We Choose Our Sources.” This was followed by films and discussions on “The Negative Impact of Social Media,” “Awareness, Misinformation and Benefiting from Technology,” “Rumours and Their Impact on the Egyptian Interior,” the “Rumours Platform,” and concluded with a film titled “The Dream and the Reality.”
