| وزارة الدفاع | |
 Emblem of the Egyptian Armed Forces | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1878 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Egypt |
| Headquarters | The Octagon,New Administrative Capital |
| Minister responsible |
|
| Website | http://www.mod.gov.eg |
TheEgyptianMinistry of Defense is the ministry responsible for theEgyptian Armed Forces organization and manages its affairs and maintains its facilities. It also handles the affairs of colleges and military recruitment, mobilization and management of veterans and military factories in Egypt through theArmed Forces Management and Administration Agency.
It was established in 1879 byKhediveIsma'il Pasha and was then called the Ministry of War, until it was renamed to the Ministry of Defense on 14 May 1971. Egypt's Ministry of Defense is based in Cairo and the headquarters is calledThe Octagon, located in theNew Administrative Capital.[1]
The following is a list of ministers of Defense of Egypt since theEgyptian Revolution of 1952. The position was known until 14 May 1971 as theMinister of War. The Minister direct theEgyptian Armed Forces. Article 201 of theConstitution of Egypt states that the Minister is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and shall be appointed from among its officers.[2]
| No. | Portrait | Minister | Title | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Naguib, MohamedMajor General Mohamed Naguib (1901–1984) | Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief(1952) Minister of War and the Navy, Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief(1952–1953) | 24 July 1952 | 18 July 1953 | 359 days |  Egyptian Army | [3] |
| 2 |  | Boghdadi, Abdel LatifWing Commander Abdel Latif Boghdadi (1917–1999) | Minister of War | 8 July 1953 | 7 April 1954 | 273 days |  Egyptian Air Force | [3] |
| 3 |  | Amer, Abdel HakimMajor General Abdel Hakim Amer (1919–1967) | Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief | 7 April 1954 | 31 August 1954 | 146 days | Egyptian Army | [3] |
| 4 |  | el-Shafei, HusseinLieutenant Colonel Hussein el-Shafei (1918–2005) | Minister of War | 17 April 1954 | 31 August 1954 | 45 days | Egyptian Army | [3] |
| (3) | | Amer, Abdel HakimField Marshal Abdel Hakim Amer (1919–1967) | Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief(1954–1956) Vice President of the Republic, Minister of War, Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief(1956–1962) | 31 August 1954 | 29 September 1962 | 8 years, 29 days | Egyptian Army | [3] |
| 5 |  | el-Beshry, Abdel WahabAbdel Wahab el-Beshry | Minister of War | 29 September 1962 | 10 September 1966 | 3 years, 346 days | Egyptian Army | [3] |
| 6 |  | Badran, ShamsShams Badran (1929–2020) | Minister of War | 10 September 1966 | 10 June 1967 | 273 days | Egyptian Army | [3] |
| – | | el-Beshry, Abdel WahabAbdel Wahab el-Beshry Acting | Minister of War | 19 June 1967 | 22 July 1967 | 33 days | Egyptian Army | [3] |
| 7 |  | Howeidi, AminAmin Howeidi (1921–2009) | Minister of War | 22 July 1967 | 24 February 1968 | 217 days | Egyptian Army | [3] |
| 8 |  | Fawzi, MohamedGeneral Mohamed Fawzi (1915–2000) | Minister of War, Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief | 24 February 1968 | 14 May 1971 | 3 years, 79 days | Egyptian Army | [3] |
| 9 |  | Sadek, Mohammed AhmedGeneral Mohammed Ahmed Sadek (1917–1991) | Minister of War, Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief | 14 May 1971 | 26 October 1972 | 1 year, 165 days | Egyptian Army | [3] |
| 10 |  | Ali, Ahmad IsmailGeneral Ahmad Ismail Ali (1917–1974) | Minister of War | 26 October 1972 | 28 December 1974 † | 2 years, 63 days | Egyptian Army | [3] |
| 11 |  | el-Gamasy, Mohamed Abdel GhaniGeneral Mohamed Abdel Ghani el-Gamasy (1921–2003) | Minister of War, Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief | 28 December 1974 | 4 October 1978 | 3 years, 280 days | Egyptian Army | [3] |
| 12 |  | Ali, Kamal HassanGeneral Kamal Hassan Ali (1921–1993) | Minister of Defense and Military Production, Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief | 4 October 1978 | 13 May 1980 | 1 year, 222 days | Egyptian Army | [3] |
| 13 |  | Badawi, AhmedLieutenant General Ahmed Badawi (1927–1981) | Minister of Defense and Military Production, Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief | 14 May 1980 | 3 March 1981 † | 293 days | Egyptian Army | [3] |
| 14 |  | Ghazala, Abd Al-Halim AbuField Marshal Abd Al-Halim Abu-Ghazala (1930–2008) | Minister of Defense and Military Production, Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief | 4 March 1981 | 15 April 1989 | 8 years, 42 days | Egyptian Army | [3][4][5] |
| 15 | | Abu Taleb, Youssef SabriLieutenant General Youssef Sabri Abu Taleb (1929–2008) | Minister of Defense and Military Production, Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief | 15 April 1989 | 20 May 1991 | 2 years, 35 days | Egyptian Army | [3] |
| 16 |  | Tantawy, Muhammad HusseinField Marshal Muhammad Hussein Tantawy (1935–2021) | Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief, Minister of Defense and Military Production | 20 May 1991 | 12 August 2012 | 21 years, 84 days | Egyptian Army | [3][6] |
| 17 |  | el-Sisi, Abdel FattahField Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (born 1954) | Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief, Minister of Defense and Military Production | 12 August 2012 | 26 March 2014 | 1 year, 226 days | Egyptian Army | [3][7] |
| 18 | .jpg) | Sobhy, SedkiGeneral Sedki Sobhy (born 1955) | Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief, Minister of Defense and Military Production | 27 March 2014 | 14 June 2018 | 4 years, 79 days | Egyptian Army | [3][8] |
| 19 |  | Zaki, Mohamed AhmedGeneral Mohamed Ahmed Zaki (born 1956) | Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief, Minister of Defense and Military Production | 14 June 2018 | 2 July 2024 | 6 years, 18 days | Egyptian Army | [9] |
| 20 |  | Saqr, Abdul MajeedGeneral Abdel Mageed Saqr (born 1955) | Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief, Minister of Defense and Military Production | 3 July 2024 | Incumbent | 1 year, 111 days* | Egyptian Army | [10] |
* Incumbent's time in office last updated: 22 October 2025.
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