Egypt's Sisi: Last 10 Years Were Dedicated to Bridge Gaps in State’s Sectors

Sisi on Tuesday at the Suez Canal University (Egyptian Presidency)
Sisi on Tuesday at the Suez Canal University (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egypt's Sisi: Last 10 Years Were Dedicated to Bridge Gaps in State’s Sectors

Sisi on Tuesday at the Suez Canal University (Egyptian Presidency)
Sisi on Tuesday at the Suez Canal University (Egyptian Presidency)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Tuesday that the past 10 years were a transitional stage to bridge the gaps in the different state sectors, especially in the health and educational domains.

Sisi said the state finalized about 50 percent of the medical infrastructure and established about 700 hospitals out of the 1,400 hospitals which the state needs.

The President stressed on the need to “develop a true description of the reality of the Egyptian state in order to come up with solutions that contribute to the progress of the state, rebuilding, hope, and restoring confidence.”

Sisi made his remarks during a meeting with heads of universities comprising the Supreme Universities Council on the sidelines of a celebration marking the excellence of Egyptian universities at Suez Canal University.

He underlined the importance of striking a balance between educational specializations and labor market needs, emphasizing that university pathways should be responsive to labor market requirements in order to provide real employment opportunities.

He also referred to the efforts exerted over the past period to support the higher education infrastructure, noting that investment in the infrastructure of education has doubled in eight years.

The President said there is coordination with the government to address the infrastructure needs at the educational level, stressing that he would keep the Egyptians updated on the size and value of such works, both in the education sector and other sectors.

Sisi then called for a community dialogue on education. “We must be prepared to reassure citizens about education,” he explained.

On the selection and preparation of teachers, the Egyptian President said the Ministry of Education implemented programs for applicants to fill teacher job, he said.

“All teachers have a good opportunity to apply for jobs through a fair system that respects evaluation and testing.”

Tackling the country’s sports clubs, Sisi called for changing their management systems and financial rules. He said Egypt needs to raise the efficiency and qualification of about 4,000 youth centers.



US Adding Second Aircraft Carrier in Middle East

A photo released by the US military shows an F/A-18 Super Hornet warplane taking off from the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier on March 16, 2025 - AFP
A photo released by the US military shows an F/A-18 Super Hornet warplane taking off from the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier on March 16, 2025 - AFP
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US Adding Second Aircraft Carrier in Middle East

A photo released by the US military shows an F/A-18 Super Hornet warplane taking off from the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier on March 16, 2025 - AFP
A photo released by the US military shows an F/A-18 Super Hornet warplane taking off from the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier on March 16, 2025 - AFP

The United States is increasing the number of aircraft carriers deployed in the Middle East to two, keeping one that is already there and sending another from the Indo-Pacific, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

The announcement comes as US forces hammer Yemen's Houthis with near-daily airstrikes in a campaign aimed at ending the threat they pose to civilian shipping and military vessels in the region.

The Carl Vinson will join the Harry S. Truman in the Middle East "to continue promoting regional stability, deter aggression, and protect the free flow of commerce in the region," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.

"To complement the CENTCOM maritime posture, the secretary also ordered the deployment of additional squadrons and other air assets that will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities," Parnell said, referring to the US military command responsible for the region, AFP reported.

"The United States and its partners remain committed to regional security in the CENTCOM (area of responsibility) and are prepared to respond to any state or non-state actor seeking to broaden or escalate conflict in the region," he added.

The Houthis began targeting shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden after the start of the Gaza war in 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians.

Houthi attacks have prevented ships from passing through the Suez Canal, a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of world shipping traffic. Ongoing attacks are forcing many companies into a costly detour around the tip of southern Africa.

- 'Real pain' -

A day before the carrier announcement, US President Donald Trump vowed that strikes on Yemen's Houthis would continue until they are no longer a threat to shipping.

"The choice for the Houthis is clear: Stop shooting at US ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Houthis and their sponsors in Iran," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Trump added that the Houthis had been "decimated" by "relentless" strikes since March 15, saying that US forces "hit them every day and night -- Harder and harder."

On Wednesday, the Houthis accused the United States of killing four people in fresh airstrikes on Hodeidah province.

The US president has also ramped up rhetoric towards Tehran, threatening that "there will be bombing" if Iran does not reach a deal on its nuclear program.

Satellite images seen by AFP showed that Washington had between March 26 and Wednesday doubled the number of B-2 bombers at a US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, from three to six.

The photos from imaging company Planet Labs PBC also showed the presence of six Stratotanker in-flight refuelling aircraft at the Diego Garcia base, within range of Iran.

Trump's threats come as his administration battles a scandal over the accidental leak of a secret group chat by senior security officials on the Yemen strikes.

The Atlantic magazine revealed last week that its editor -- a well-known US journalist -- was inadvertently included in a chat on the commercially available Signal app where top officials were discussing the strikes.

The officials, including Trump's National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, discussed details of airstrike timings and intelligence -- unaware that the highly sensitive information was being simultaneously read by a member of the media.