Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi issued a decree on Thursday regulating the leadership of the country's top security council, said presidential spokesman Ehab Badawi said.

Badawi said the law mandates forming an organising committee for the National Security Council (NSC) to plan meetings and provide the needed research and documents.

The president appoints the head of the committee as well as the members, based on the head's suggestion.

The head of the committee would also have the minister's powers as they relate to the financial and managerial issues in the council.

Egypt's former president Adly Mansour ordered the forming of the NSC council in February.

The NSC is directly headed by the president of the republic and consists of the prime minister, the speaker of parliament, the chief of the General Intelligence Services (GIS), the chairman of the parliamentary defence and national security committee, and the ministers of defence, the interior, foreign affairs, finance, justice, health, communications and education.

The president is to call for NSC meetings once every three months and whenever it is deemed necessary. In the event of war or national disaster, the council is to be regarded as in permanent session.

NSC proceedings are confidential, and its decisions are taken by majority vote among those present. In the event of a tie, the side on which the president votes will prevail.