The meeting focused on scheduling talks and outlining the key elements for the debate ahead of broader discussions by the dialogue’s board of trustees.

A post-meeting statement said the dialogue’s board will hold two phases of discussions on the issue. The first phase will involve public discussions in the presence of experts, politicians, and representatives of labour unions, civil society groups, and other stakeholders.

The statement added that a subsequent closed-door phase will focus on expert analysis to come up with recommendations.

The government recently moved to cut the subsidy bill as part of its plan to narrow the budget deficit and streamline public finances.

It introduced a 10-15 percent fuel price hike at the end of July, increased metro and train fares a week ago, and oversaw a 300 percent price hike on subsidized bread at the end of May.

The government says the plan aims to direct subsidies – projected to consume EGP 636 billion in the FY2024/2025 – to those most in need without affecting the state's finances.

Tuesday's meeting also addressed the pretrial detention issue, with participants agreeing to finalize a report to be presented before the dialogue’s board next week before submission to the Egyptian president.

The national dialogue and the House of Representatives have been collaborating to amend the Code of Criminal Procedures, including reducing the maximum duration of pretrial detention.  

The National Political Dialogue (NPD) was launched in May 2023 upon a call from President El-Sisi to address Egypt's diverse political, economic, and social issues.

In August 2023, the first round of discussions concluded with recommendations later submitted to El-Sisi.

In January 2024, El-Sisi called for launching a second round of the national dialogue to tackle economic challenges.