The Prime Minister of the UAE, a major financial backer of Egypt after the downfall of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, said the Egyptian army chief was better off staying in the military instead of running for president.

General Abdel Fattah El-Sisi gave his clearest indication yet that he will run for the presidency in comments on Saturday.

Deeply mistrustful of the Muslim Brotherhood, the UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, has championed El-Sisi and poured billions of dollars to shore up the country's beleaguered economy since Morsi's downfall.

But Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashed Al-Maktoum, who is also the ruler of Dubai, said in an interview with the BBC broadcast on Monday that El-Sisi was better off staying in the army. He did not elaborate.

"I hope he stays in the army. And someone else (stands) for the presidency," he said, adding that Egypt was better off without Morsi.