President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi meets US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. Photo: Egyptian Presidency
The remarks came during a meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, running from 19 to 23 January.
According to the Egyptian presidency, El-Sisi thanked Trump for his role in mediating a ceasefire in Gaza, describing it as one of the most difficult crises the region has faced. He said Egypt was ready to make all necessary efforts to ensure the success and full implementation of the Gaza deal.
El-Sisi praised Trump’s role in launching the second phase of the agreement and stressed the need to proceed positively. He also referred to the formation of the Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) and called for the immediate start of early recovery efforts ahead of the strip’s reconstruction.
The Egyptian president further urged an increase in humanitarian aid, citing the harsh conditions faced by Palestinians in Gaza.
El-Sisi welcomed Trump’s proposal to establish a Board of Peace and expressed support for what he said was its role in pursuing peace and resolving conflicts.
For his part, Trump described the Board of Peace as “the greatest and most prestigious board ever formed,” saying it included “a lot of great people” interested in joining.
Water security
The talks also covered Nile water security, which El-Sisi described as existential for Egypt.
He thanked Trump for his continued support and engagement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) since his first term, saying US sponsorship of negotiations could open the door to a breakthrough in the long-running dispute.
El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to cooperation with Nile Basin countries in line with international law, arguing that the basin’s water resources are sufficient to meet regional needs if managed properly.
Trump described the GERD as a “big problem” that effectively blocks the Nile.
“They built a dam where somebody is not getting the water that they are supposed to get and that they’ve gotten for a million years,” Trump said. “All of a sudden, the water flow is blocked by a very massive dam.”
He said that when he thinks of Egypt, he thinks of the Nile “more than any other place,” adding that he became involved in the issue at the end of his first term and had expected a deal.
Trump said the dam had become “a very dangerous issue” since his return to office and pledged to try to get negotiations back on track.
“I think we’ll be able to do something about the dam,” he said.
Middle East crises
According to the Egyptian presidency, the two leaders also discussed wider regional issues.
On Sudan, they reviewed joint efforts within the Quad framework to end the war. El-Sisi welcomed US involvement and stressed the need for an urgent humanitarian truce and intensified international action to ease civilian suffering.
They also discussed Lebanon, where El-Sisi stressed the importance of a US role in halting attacks and violations of Lebanese sovereignty, allowing state institutions to extend authority across the country.
Egypt-US ties
El-Sisi said Egypt was keen to elevate relations with Washington to a comprehensive strategic partnership and looked forward to expanding economic and trade cooperation, including through the second session of the Egyptian-American Economic Forum in 2026.
He also congratulated Trump on what he described as a full year of achievements in his second term.
Trump praised the longstanding partnership between the two countries and commended El-Sisi’s role in supporting stability and development in Egypt and the wider region.
“Egypt has been great, the President has been great, and we have peace in the Middle East. It’s an amazing thing,” Trump said. “Nobody thought we would ever see that.”
He described El-Sisi as a “great president and a great leader” and called bilateral relations “fantastic” and “stronger than ever”.
“We’ve always had a great relationship, and it continues stronger than ever,” Trump said. “Thank you very much, I appreciate it.”
The meeting was attended by Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Intelligence Chief Hassan Rashad, as well as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, according to the Egyptian presidency.
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