Egypt's second-phase parliamentary election runoffs concluded domestically on Thursday, December 18, 2025, after two days of voting. Overseas balloting ended on December 16. The National Elections Authority oversaw 202 candidates vying for 101 individual seats across 13 governorates, with official results anticipated on December 25.
Abdel Aziz El-Sherif, Head of the Egyptian Commercial Service, concluded high-level meetings in Madrid to bolster economic, trade, and investment ties with Spain. Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation and culminated in plans for a joint economic dialogue and business forum in the first half of 2026, building on recent bilateral engagements.
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza, Egypt, has officially opened to the public on November 4, 2025, following an inauguration for dignitaries on November 1. The colossal museum, dedicated to ancient Egyptian civilization, houses over 100,000 artifacts, including the complete King Tutankhamun collection, and cost over $1 billion.
Ethiopia has accused Egypt of escalating tensions in the long-running Nile dispute, following recent comments by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. Abdelatty declared negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) had reached a 'dead end' and labeled the project 'illegal.' Ethiopia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs countered, accusing Cairo of clinging to a 'colonial-era mentality' and rejecting dialogue.
Egypt has been validated by the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating trachoma, the leading infectious cause of avoidable blindness, as a public health problem. This achievement marks a significant public health victory, making Egypt the 27th country globally and the seventh in its region to reach this status.
A senior Hamas delegation, led by Khalil Al-Hayya, met with Egypt's intelligence chief Hassan Rashad in Cairo on November 23, 2025. Discussions focused on alleged Israeli ceasefire violations, the need for a monitoring mechanism, the second phase of the agreement, and the urgent situation of Hamas fighters in Rafah tunnels.
Egypt has officially launched its 2025-2029 National Digital Health Strategy, aiming for a fully digitized health system by 2029. The plan, unveiled at the 3rd World Congress on Population, Health and Development, focuses on creating an integrated digital ecosystem, unifying national health data, and expanding access to digital services.
Egypt plans to move certain in-person public services solely to its 'Digital Egypt' platform, launched in 2020. This move, part of Vision 2030, aims to boost efficiency, accessibility, and transparency, with over 175 services already available and user numbers exceeding 8 million.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov held phone discussions on November 7 and 8, 2025, focusing on consolidating the Gaza ceasefire, addressing the Sudan crisis, and enhancing bilateral cooperation, including major joint projects.
The Netherlands announced it will return a 3,500-year-old bust of a high-ranking official from Pharaoh Thutmose III's dynasty to Egypt. The announcement by Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof coincided with the Grand Egyptian Museum's opening in Giza, marking a significant act of cultural restitution for an artifact believed looted during the 2011 Arab Spring.
Egypt, represented by the Accountability State Authority, officially took over the presidency of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) for a three-year term. The handover occurred during the 25th International Congress of Supreme Audit Institutions (INCOSAI 25) in Sharm El-Sheikh, under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
Egyptian activist Anas Habib and his brother, Tarek Habib, were arrested in Brussels mid-week on allegations of surveillance and threatening President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The arrests coincided with Sisi's participation in the first Egypt-EU summit in the Belgian capital.
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has repeatedly cautioned against Egypt's involvement in the Gaza conflict, highlighting the profound economic repercussions. He emphasized that such a war would severely impact key sectors like tourism and Suez Canal revenues, exacerbating existing financial strains and potentially setting the country back by years.
Egypt's Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) has temporarily closed its doors from October 15 to November 3, 2025, to finalize preparations for its highly anticipated official inauguration. The grand opening ceremony for dignitaries is set for November 1, with public access resuming on November 4, coinciding with the 103rd anniversary of Tutankhamun's tomb discovery.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty chaired a Supreme Standing Committee for Human Rights meeting, reviewing the national human rights strategy and celebrating Egypt's successful bid for a 2026-2028 term on the UN Human Rights Council. The fourth executive report of the strategy was submitted to President El-Sisi.
Egypt has reopened the tomb of Pharaoh Amenhotep III in Luxor's Valley of the Kings to visitors after more than two decades of extensive restoration. This significant cultural event precedes the official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, aiming to boost the nation's tourism sector.
Egypt and Greece have signed an agreement to finalize technical and economic studies for the GREGY electricity interconnector, a project poised to export up to 3,000 megawatts of clean energy from Egypt to Europe. This strategic initiative aims to bolster Europe's energy security and promote renewable energy integration.
Foreign oil companies, led by Shell, are set to invest $1.6 billion in Egypt's natural gas sector during the current fiscal year. This significant capital injection aims to increase the nation's gas production by approximately 510 million cubic feet per day, supporting Egypt's strategic goal of enhancing energy security and becoming a regional gas hub.
Egypt has warned of deploying fighter jets and heavy weaponry to the Sinai Peninsula if Gaza residents are forcibly moved to its borders, deeming such a move a direct threat to its national security. Cairo has consistently rejected proposals for mass displacement, emphasizing it as a 'red line' that could destabilize the region.
