Famous Egyptian Political Leaders

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Find out more about the greatest Egyptian Political Leaders, including Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Mohamed Morsi, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Adly Mansour.
Vote for Your Favourite Egyptian Political Leaders
 1 
Gamal Abdel Nasser
(Political Leader of Egypt)
Gamal Abdel Nasser
9
Birthdate: January 15, 1918
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Bacos, Egypt
Died: September 28, 1970

Gamal Abdel Nasser was an Egyptian politician. He was the second president of Egypt, serving from 1954 to 1970. Before becoming the president, Nasser played a crucial role in the Egyptian revolution of 1952, in which he led a group of army to overthrow King Farouk. Nasser remains an iconic figure, not just in Egypt, but the entire Arab world.

 2 
Hosni Mubarak
(Former President of Egypt)
Hosni Mubarak
7
Birthdate: May 4, 1928
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Monufia Governorate
Died: February 25, 2025

Egyptian military and political leader Hosni Mubarak served as the fourth president of Egypt from 1981 to 2011. An Egyptian Air Force officer prior to entering politics, he assumed office as the president after the incumbent Anwar Sadat's assassination in 1981. After 30 years, he had to step down from the presidency during the Egyptian Revolution of 2011. 

 3 
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
(6th and Current President of Egypt (Since 2014))
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
6
Birthdate: November 19, 1954
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Cairo, Egypt
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is the incumbent president of Egypt. He has also served as the director of military Intelligence and the minister of defense. He has had a long stint with the Egyptian Army and led the coup that ousted President Mohamed Morsi. He has established a dictatorial regime.
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 4 
Seti I
(Pharaoh)
Seti I
6
Birthdate: 1323 BC
Birthplace: Avaris
Died: 1279 BC

The son of Ramesses I, Seti I was an Egyptian king of the 19th dynasty. Known for his glorious reign, as opposed to his father’s short 2-year rule, he fought wars in Palestine and Syria. He also built temples, mines, and wells, and completed the hypostyle hall at Karnak.

 5 
Ramesses I
(Pharaoh, Sovereign)
Ramesses I
3
Birthplace: Avaris
Died: 1294 BC

Ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses I was the founder of the 19th dynasty but had a brief reign. His mummy was stolen from Egypt by looters and transported through Turkish agents to the US and eventually ended up in a Canadian museum. Years later, it was returned to Egypt and displayed at Luxor Museum.

 6 
Boutros Boutros-Ghali
(Egyptian Statesman and Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1992 to 1996)
Boutros Boutros-Ghali
4
Birthdate: November 14, 1922
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Cairo, Egypt
Died: February 16, 2016

Grandson of former Egyptian prime minister Boutros Ghali Bey, politician Boutros Boutros-Ghali is remembered for his tenure as the secretary-general of the UN, which witnessed peacekeeping activities in war-torn areas such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. His illustrious career boasted of various prestigious academic positions and a Fulbright scholarship.

 7 
Mohamed Morsi
(5th President of Egypt)
Mohamed Morsi
5
Birthdate: August 8, 1951
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: El Adwah, Kingdom of Egypt
Died: June 17, 2019

Mohamed Morsi served as the Egyptian president from 2012 to 2013 and was ousted from office by a coup. He led the Freedom and Justice Party briefly and was part of the Muslim Brotherhood. Following his ouster, he was charged with various crimes, but he died during a re-trial.

 8 
Horemheb
(Pharaoh)
Horemheb
5
Birthplace: Heracleopolis Magna
Died: 1292 BC

The last king of the 18th dynasty of Egypt, Horemheb is best remembered for reviving the Amon religion, which was suppressed by Akhenaton. He headed an army under Tutankhamen and succeeded Ay as the ruler. He dismantled temples of god Aton and rebuilt statues of god Amon.

 9 
Djoser
(Ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the 3rd Dynasty during the Old Kingdom and the founder of this epoch)
Djoser
3
Birthplace: Egypt
 10 
Menes
(Pharaoh)
Menes
3
Died: 3125 BC

Menes is credited with unifying Upper and Lower Egypt and thus establishing Egypt’s 1st dynasty. While Greek historian Herodotus mentioned him as Min, many modern scholars believe he was one of the archaic kings, namely Scorpion, Aha, and Narmer. Manetho’s accounts state he was killed by a hippopotamus.

 11 
Amenhotep II
(Seventh pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt)
Amenhotep II
3
Birthplace: Memphis, Egypt

The seventh pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Amenhotep II, also referred as Amenophis II, succeeded his father, Thutmose III. Amenhotep ruled at the height of Egypt’s royal era and thrived in maintaining the vast kingdom that he inherited from his father, employing a few military campaigns in Syria. His reign witnessed the effective end of conflict between Egypt and Mitanni.

 12 
Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt
(Viceroy of Egypt)
Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt
3
Birthdate: March 4, 1789
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Drama, Greece
Died: November 10, 1848

Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt was an Egyptian army general who served as the regent of his father's Muhammad Ali dynasty in 1848 due to his father's ill health. Ibrahim Pasha is best remembered for his military victories, including his impressive success against the Ottoman Empire, for which he is counted among the greatest members of the Muhammad Ali dynasty.

 13 
Smenkhkare
(Pharaoh)
Smenkhkare
3
Died: 1334 BC

Not much is known about the identity of Smenkhkare, who was a pharaoh of the Amarna Period of the 18th Egyptian dynasty. Since his coronation name, Ankhkheperure, was the same as that of Neferneferuaton, or Nefertiti, some believe Smenkhkare was the kingly version of Nefertiti, who ruled as a female pharaoh.

 14 
Suzanne Mubarak
(Politician)
Suzanne Mubarak
4
Birthdate: February 28, 1941
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Minya Governorate

The wife of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, Suzanne Mubarak was 17 when she got married. She got back to school a decade later and obtained degrees in sociology and political science. She established the Cairo Child Museum and worked for the UN.

 15 
Isma'il Pasha
(Khedive)
Isma'il Pasha
5
Birthdate: December 31, 1830
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Cairo, Egypt
Died: March 2, 1895

Isma'il Pasha, also called Ismail the Magnificent, was the Khedive of Egypt and Sudan. He remained instrumental in modernizing Egypt and Sudan and invested considerably in economic and industrial development and urbanization. His administrative policies, particularly those that led to accumulation of huge foreign debt, paved way for his toppling from power and eventually the British occupation of Egypt.

 16 
Mohamed Hussein Tantawi
(Politician, Military personnel)
Mohamed Hussein Tantawi
5
Birthdate: October 31, 1935
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Cairo

Egyptian Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi ruled Egypt as its de facto head of state after the fall of former president Hosni Mubarak. He was also a military attaché in Pakistan and led Egypt in the Gulf War as part of the US-led coalition. He earned an Order of the Nile, too.

 17 
Thutmose II
(Pharaoh)
Thutmose II
3
Birthdate: 1510 BC
Died: 1479 BC

The 4th pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt, Thutmose II is best remembered for suppressing rebellions in the Levant and Nubia. He also defeated the Bedouins in Palestine. While some scholars believe he had a short-lived reign, others state he may have ruled for upto 18 years.

 18 
Merneptah
Merneptah
3

One of the 13 sons of Ramesses II, Merneptah assumed power at the age of 70. The 4th pharaoh of Egypt’s 19th dynasty, he is remembered for his successful defense against a Libyan invasion. He was also known to have ordered the iconic commemorative text Israel Stela.

 19 
Ptolemy II Philadelphus
(King)
Ptolemy II Philadelphus
3
Birthdate: 0309 BC
Birthplace: Alexandria
Died: 0246 AD

Ptolemy II Philadelphus succeeded his father and founder of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, Ptolemy I, as the second king of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Ptolemy II developed agriculture and commerce and promoted the Museum and Library of Alexandria. The material and literary grandeur of the Alexandrian court reached its pinnacle during his rule making Alexandria a leading centre of the arts and sciences.

 20 
Hor-Aha
(pharaoh)
Hor-Aha
3

Believed to be the son of Narmer and Neithhotep, Hor-Aha was the 2nd king of the 1st dynasty of Egypt. He was, however, the first human king mentioned in the Palermo Stone. Many historians also believe that Hor-Aha was the same individual as Menes. He was apparently also a skilled physician.

 21 
Adly Mansour
(Magistrate, Judge, Politician, Lawyer)
Adly Mansour
5
Birthdate: December 23, 1945
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Cairo

A qualified lawyer and judge, Adly Mansour has served the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt as its president and has also worked with the Saudi Ministry of Commerce. Following Mohamed Morsi’s ouster in a coup d'état, Mansour served as the country’s interim president. He has been honored with the Order of the Nile.

 22 
Nawal El Saadawi
(Egyptian Feminist Activist Who is Credited with Founding the 'Arab Women's Solidarity Association')
Nawal El Saadawi
3
Birthdate: October 22, 1931
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Kafr Tahlah, Egypt
Died: March 21, 2021

Nawal El Saadawi was an Egyptian feminist activist, writer, and physician. Described as Egypt's most radical woman, Saadawi wrote many books pertaining to the subject of women in the Muslim world. She is also credited with founding the Arab Women's Solidarity Association. Nawal El Saadawi won several prestigious awards, including the Seán MacBride Peace Prize and the Inana International Prize.

 23 
Thutmose I
(Pharaoh)
Thutmose I
3
Birthdate: 1500 BC

Thutmose I was the 3rd king of the 18th dynasty of Egypt and succeeded Amenhotep I. He is remembered for his campaigns in Levant and Nubia (modern-day Sudan) to expand Egyptian territory. He was the first pharaoh to construct his tomb at the Valley of the Kings in Thebes.

 24 
Amr ibn al-As
(Arab Commander Who Helped Conquer Egypt in 7th Century)
Amr ibn al-As
3
Birthdate: February 14, 0573
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Died: January 6, 0664

Amr ibn al-As was an Arab commander best remembered for his role in the Muslim conquest of Egypt. He went on to serve as the Governor of Egypt from 640 to 646 and again from 658 to 664. Prior to his role in the conquest of Egypt, Amr ibn al-As served as the Governor of Palestine from 634 to 639.

 25 
Mentuhotep II
(Pharaoh)
Mentuhotep II
3
Died: 1995 BC

The ancient Egyptian pharaoh Mentuhotep II became the sixth ruler of the Eleventh Dynasty of ancient Egypt during the First Intermediate Period ascending Egypt’s throne in the Upper Egyptian city of Thebes while the Tenth Dynasty ruled Lower Egypt from Herakleopolis. Mentuhotep later succeeded in conquering Lower Egypt thus unifying Egypt and ushering in the period called the Middle Kingdom. 

 26 
Abd el-Krim
(Political leader)
Abd el-Krim
3
Birthdate: 1882 AD
Birthplace: Ajdir
Died: February 6, 1963

Moroccan military leader Abd el-Krim led the Berber forces against the Spanish and French armies in Africa, thus forming the Republic of Rif. Though his father initially received a stipend from the Spanish authorities, Abd el-Krim later put up a strong resistance and was eventually exiled.

 27 
Kamose
(King)
Kamose
2
Died: 1550 BC

Remembered for his hostile military actions against the Hyksos, Kamose was the last ruler of the Theban 17th dynasty. His name finds mention at the Second Nile Cataract in Nubia, indicating he also made way into the Kushite territory. Scholars believe he probably didn’t rule more than 5 years.

 28 
Neferirkare Kakai
(Pharaoh)
Neferirkare Kakai
2
Birthdate: 2483 BC
Died: 2465 BC

The 3rd pharaoh of the 5th dynasty, Neferirkare Kakai was the first Egyptian ruler to have used 2 names, a prenomen and a nomen. Though he began constructing a pyramid for himself, it remained incomplete. The papyrus later found in his pyramid complex contained the earliest documents in hieratic script.

 29 
Muhammad Naguib
Muhammad Naguib
2
Birthdate: February 20, 1901
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Khartoum
Died: August 29, 1984

Egyptian revolutionary Muhammad Naguib was one of the pillars of the 1952 Egyptian Revolution and had a major role in the ouster of King Farouk I. A military man, he was the country’s war and navy minister. He also served as the 1st president of Egypt and its prime minister.

 30 
Gamal Mubarak
(Businessperson)
Gamal Mubarak
3
Birthdate: December 27, 1963
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Cairo

The younger son of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, Gamal Mubarak led the National Democratic Party as its deputy secretary-general. While he began his career with the Bank of America, he later set up Medinvest Associates. Convicted of diverting political funds, he was jailed. Much later, he was again accused of stock-market manipulation.

 31 
Sahure
(Pharaoh)
Sahure
2
Birthdate: 2500 BC
Died: 2490 BC

The 2nd pharaoh of the 5th dynasty, Sahure had a predominantly peaceful rule, where trade flourished. Sahure explored turquoise mines and diorite quarries and also strengthened the Egyptian navy. He was also the first pharaoh to build a temple in the Abusir complex, though it was reduced to ruins later.

 32 
Saad Zaghloul
(Prime Minister)
Saad Zaghloul
2
Birthdate: July 1, 1859
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Kafr El Sheikh Governorate, Egypt
Died: August 23, 1927

Egyptian statesman Saad Zaghloul, who once led the Wafd Party and the 1918-19 nationalist movement, had also served as the prime minister of Egypt for less than a year. Initially an advocate, he had also worked as a journalist. He had headed the Egyptian ministries of justice and education, too.

 33 
Den
(Pharaoh, statesperson)
Den
2
Died: 2995 BC

Egyptian pharaoh of the Early Dynastic Period, Den, or Hor Den, was probably the 4th ruler of the 1st dynasty. He was the first to be addressed as the King of Upper and Lower Egypt and the first to wear the Double Crown. He also fought against the Bedouin tribes in Sinai.

 34 
Ahmed Shafik
(Former Prime Minister of Egypt (January 2011 - March 2011))
Ahmed Shafik
2
Birthdate: November 25, 1941
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Cairo, Egypt

Born to a minister, Ahmed Shafik received military training and had a successful career as a fighter pilot. He then served as the civil aviation minister and the commander of the Egyptian air force. He was also made the prime minister of Egypt by president Hosni Mubarak, after the 2011 Egyptian Revolution.

 35 
Jehan Sadat
(Politician)
Jehan Sadat
5
Birthdate: August 29, 1933
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Cairo

Once the First Lady of Egypt (as the wife of president Anwar Sadat), Jehan Sadat had a multicultural upbringing, being the daughter of an Egyptian father and a British mother. She later became a champion for women’s rights and transformed the civil rights laws, bringing in what were called Jehan's Laws.

 36 
Sekhemkhet
(King)
Sekhemkhet
2

An Egyptian pharaoh of the 3rd dynasty, Sekhemkhet had a short-lived reign. He is also known as Djoser-tety and Tyreis. He began building a pyramid complex at Saqqara, which eventually remained incomplete. Some scholars believe he was either the brother or son of another 3rd dynasty ruler Djoser.

 37 
Teti
(Pharaoh)
Teti
2
Died: 2350 BC

The first pharaoh of the 6th dynasty, Teti, also known as Athath or Atat, later took over the Horus name Seheteptawy, meaning He who pacifies the Two Lands. His built a pyramid for himself at Saqqara, also known as the Prison Pyramid. It is believed he was murdered by his guards.

 38 
Shepseskaf
(Pharaoh)
Shepseskaf
2
Birthdate: 2550 BC
Died: 2499 BC

The last pharaoh of the 4th dynasty, Shepseskaf is believed to have had a short-lived reign. He was perhaps pharaoh Menkaure’s son. He built an unusual rectangular monument at Saqqara, called Mastabat el Fara’un, probably due to a deviation from the solar cult or a financial constraint.

 39 
Omar Suleiman
(Former Vice-President of Egypt)
Omar Suleiman
4
Birthdate: July 2, 1936
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Qena, Egypt
Died: July 19, 2012

Omar Suleiman once led the Egyptian General Intelligence Service as its director. He had also briefly been the vice president of Egypt under president Hosni Mubarak, becoming the first to have held the post under Mubarak. In his early days, he had also been part of the Six-Day and October wars.

 40 
Abdel Hakim Amer
(Former Vice-President of Egypt)
Abdel Hakim Amer
2
Birthdate: December 11, 1919
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Samalut, Egypt
Died: September 13, 1967

Abdel Hakim Amer served as the Chief of Staff of Egyptian Army, the Minister of Defense, and the Vice President of Egypt. He played an instrumental role during the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 and commanded the Egyptian Army during the Suez Crisis, the North Yemen Civil War and the Six-Day War. Many historians stated that Amer was to some extent responsible for Egypt's defeat in the Six-Day War..

 41 
Semerkhet
(Sovereign)
Semerkhet
2
Died: 2960 BC

Semerkhet, one of the pharaohs of the 1st dynasty, was probably the son of Anedjib, while some believe he was born to a woman named Batirset, though she could not be linked to any king. Manetho believed he ruled for 18 years and a calamity occurred during his reign.

 42 
Anedjib
(King)
Anedjib
2
Birthdate: 2950 BC

A 1st dynasty pharaoh, Anedjib was mentioned as a Thinite and was probably born to pharaoh Den. He is also believed to be king Miebidos mentioned by historian Manetho. He was also thought to be the first king with a nebty (Two Ladies) title and a nesu-bit name.

 43 
Nynetjer
(Pharaoh)
Nynetjer
2

The 3rd king of the 2nd dynasty, Nynetjer may have ruled for 35 years, while Manetho believed he ruled for 47 years. It is believed that his reign saw the legalization of the rule of women in Egypt. The Palermo Stone proves he may have ruled over Memphis and nearby regions.

 44 
Said Halim Paşa
(Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (1913 - 1917))
Said Halim Paşa
2
Birthdate: January 18, 1865
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Cairo, Egypt
Died: December 6, 1921

Egyptian-origin Ottoman statesman Said Halim Paşa was the grandson of the popular Egyptian viceroy Muhammad Ali. He served as the Ottoman Empire’s foreign minister and grand vizier. He opposed the Ottoman entry into World War I. Exiled to Malta, he later went to Rome, where he was murdered by an Armenian revolutionary.

 45 
Amenemhat IV
(Pharaoh)
Amenemhat IV
2
Birthdate: 1850 BC
Died: 1790 BC

The 7th ruler of the 12th dynasty, Amenemhat IV was perhaps the son, grandson, or stepson of pharaoh Amenemhat III, whom he initially served as a co-regent. He also completed the Temple of Medinet Madi. Heirless, he was succeeded by his half-sister or aunt Sobeknefru, the first female Egyptian ruler in 1500 years.

 46 
Amr Moussa
(Egyptian Politician)
Amr Moussa
4
Birthdate: October 3, 1936
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Cairo

The son of an MP, Amr Moussa is a qualified lawyer who has had an illustrious career as a diplomat and politician. Apart from being the Egyptian ambassador to the UN, he has also been Egypt’s foreign affairs minister and the Secretary-General of the Arab League.

 47 
Nabil Elaraby
(lawyer, diplomat, judge)
Nabil Elaraby
1
Birthdate: May 15, 1935
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Cairo

Apart from being the Egyptian foreign affairs minister, Nabil Elaraby had also been an ambassador to the UN and the Secretary-General of the Arab League. He was also an International Court of Justice member and the Egyptian ambassador to India. He was also a UNSC president and a General Assembly VP.

 48 
Najm ad-Din Ayyub
(Kurdish Soldier, Politician and Eponymous Ancestor of the Ayyubid Dynasty)
Najm ad-Din Ayyub
1
Birthplace: NA
Died: August 9, 1173

Once the governor of Damascus, Najm ad-Din Ayyub was part of a group of Kurdish soldiers who served the Turkish rulers of Syria and Iraq. He was also the father of Saladin, who ruled Egypt and Syria as their first sultan and established the Ayyubid dynasty.

 49 
Mostafa El-Nahas
(Political figure)
Mostafa El-Nahas
1
Birthdate: June 15, 1879
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Gharbia Governorate, Egypt
Died: August 23, 1965

A qualified lawyer, Mostafa El-Nahas worked as a judge at the Tanta National Court before joining the Wafd Party. He later headed the country as its prime minister 5 times. He and his wife were imprisoned briefly after the 1952 Egyptian Revolution, following which he led a private life.

 50 
Mohammed Ali Tewfik
(He was a member of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty)
Mohammed Ali Tewfik
1
Birthdate: November 9, 1875
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Cairo, Egypt
Died: March 18, 1955

The son of Tewfik I of the Muhammad Ali dynasty, Mohammed Ali Tewfik was the uncle of Farouk I and his regent. After the declaration of Egypt as a republic, he spent the rest of his life in exile. He loved horse breeding and also penned a book on the subject.