Yesterday (Wednesday), Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi announced a presidential decree promoting the rank of Commander of the Navy and Major General Mahmoud Adel Mahmoud Fawzi and Commander of the Air Force and Major General Pilot Amr Abdel Rahman Abdel Rahman Saqr to the rank of Lieutenant General.
Presidential Spokesperson Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy said these promotions “take place within the framework of the political leadership’s ambition to support and develop the Egyptian military system and strengthen its combat and technical capabilities in light of current regional and international challenges.”
These promotions came hours after President Sisi decided to appoint Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher as Minister of Defense and Military Production, replacing Lieutenant General Abdel Majeed Saqr, who had held the position for several years, making major adjustments in the hierarchy of the military’s senior leadership.
Mr. Zaher held the position of Director of the Military Academy and was promoted to Lieutenant General in January 2023. He is one of the military leaders in charge of the training and admission system of Egypt’s military academies, and previously held the position of director of the military academy.
Lieutenant General Zaher was sworn in as Minister of Defense and Munitions in front of the President of Egypt as part of the swearing-in ceremony for the new minister in the presence of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.
Zaher is the fourth minister to serve in Egypt’s Ministry of Defense since Sisi became president in 2014, before General Sedki Sobhi, who held the position for four years from March 2014 to June 2018.
Lieutenant General Muhammad Zaki assumed the post for six years from June 2018 to July 2024, followed by Lieutenant General Abdul Majeed Saqr, who held the post for about a year and a half from July 2024 to February 2026.
