President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has appointed 100 members to Egypt’s Senate, completing the 300-seat upper chamber as required by law. This cycle marks a dramatic overhaul as he retained only nine members from his 2020 appointees, removing 91 previous selections.
The list, published Sunday in the Official Gazette, follows August’s elections, in which 200 members were selected through party lists and individual ballots.
According to Article 1 of the Senate Law, the president appoints one-third of the chamber’s members, with at least 10% of total seats reserved for women.
Among those reappointed are Mohamed Nabil Daabes, former head of the education committee known for proposing 10 billion pounds in private school fee allocations for school construction; Sayed Abdel-Aal, Al-Tagammu Party head; and Abdel-Hakim Esmat El-Sadat, leader of the Sadat Democratic Party.
The new list includes several prominent political figures and former presidential candidates: Abdel-Sanad Yamama (Al-Wafd), Hazem Omar (Republican People’s Party), Basel Adel (Consciousness Party), Essam Khalil (Free Egyptians Party), Mohamed Abou El-Ela (Nasserist Party), and Nagi El-Shehaby (Democratic Generation Party). Miral Galal El-Haridi, a former MP and daughter of the late Galal El-Haridi, was also appointed.
Absent is Bahaa El-Din Abu Shoka, former Senate member and Al-Wafd leader.
From the executive ranks, Sisi tapped former ministers: Osama Kamal (Petroleum, Brotherhood-era), Sahar Nasr (International Cooperation), and Mohamed Orabi (Foreign Ministry). Former Grand Mufti Shawky Allam was also named.
From the judiciary, the appointments include Judge Hosny Abdel-Latif, former president of the Supreme Judicial Council, and Judge Fares Fam Handal, ex-deputy head of the State Council and National Elections Authority member. Mohamed Hossam El-Din, the former State Council president, was not renewed.
Returning media figures include Mahmoud Mosallam, former Al-Watan editor-in-chief, and Mohamed Shabana, Journalists Syndicate member.
Notably absent are Emad El-Din Hussein (Al-Shorouk) and Ibrahim Abou Keila, a former syndicate board member.
Several other prominent figures retained their seats: Suleiman El-Zamlout, Sinai elder and brother of former New Valley governor; Mahmoud Samir Torki (Al-Nour Party); Khaled Kandil (Al-Wafd); and Youssef Amer, who previously chaired the religious affairs committee.
New appointees include public figures: Abdel Hadi El-Qasabi, former majority leader in parliament; lawyer Tharwat El-Kharbawy; actor Yasser Galal; sports presenter Seif Zaher; novelist Ahmed Morad; and businessmen Hani El-Attal and Nashaat Hetta.
Omitted from this round were many high-profile names from the previous Senate, including Sameh Ashour, who resigned to contest the Lawyers’ Syndicate presidency and lost; Tarek Saada, Media Syndicate head; Hani Sarie Eldin, former economic committee chair; and Younes El-Masry, ex-civil aviation minister.
