Understanding President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's Decree Delegating Powers to the Minister of Defense

Mohamed al-Ghabbary, former Director of the National Defense College, has clarified President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s recent decision to delegate specific presidential powers—outlined in the General Mobilization Law—to the Minister of Defense and Military Production. Speaking on the “Ala Massoulity” program broadcast on Sada al-Balad channel, Ghabbary described the directive as a standard administrative and legal procedure that routinely takes place whenever a new Minister of Defense takes office.

Published in the Official Gazette and issued on September 22, the presidential decree authorizes the Minister of Defense and Military Production to exercise the powers stipulated in Articles 9, 12, and 24 of Law #87 of 1960. The delegation is set for a one-year term, taking effect in November.

Ghabbary emphasized that this delegation is unconnected to any emergency conditions, noting that the President acts in his capacity as head of the National Defense Council to assign these specific legal provisions. He stressed that the measure does not signal any alteration in the state of general mobilization, as an existing mobilization plan remains in place and reservist call-ups are strictly tied to ongoing armed forces training and operations.

Explaining general mobilization, Ghabbary noted that military structures rely on active-duty and reserve personnel to scale up forces from peacetime levels—typically ranging between 50 to 70 percent—to required operational capacities for both routine training and wartime scenarios. He reassured the public that the decision is neither a declaration of war nor a state of emergency, addressing public inquiries sparked by regional conditions.

Providing further context, Abu Bakr al-Gendy, former head of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), explained that the general mobilization framework also encompasses civilian resources. He referenced the events of 2011, when unrest and transport disruptions occurred, pointing out how the state successfully utilized pre-existing databases and civilian resource inventories—such as armed forces transport assets deployed to secure and distribute wheat supplies from Alexandria and Suez to various governorates—to manage the crisis swiftly and effectively.