Four central Cairo metro stations were closed for maintenance on Friday, a source at the Ministry of Transport told Al-Shorouk news website.

The Sadat, Ahmed Orabi, Gamal Abdel-Nasser and Opera stations would reopen as soon work is completed, said the source. All other metro stations are operating normally, they added.

Security forces have been deployed across the capital on Friday amid calls for protests against President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's administration.

El-Sisi arrived at Cairo airport on Friday morning after attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and in comments on arrival he told Egyptians "not to worry," stressing that “Egypt is powerful through its people."

"The issue does not deserve all of this. You have to know that the Egyptian people have become very aware … more aware of how the picture is being formed to fabricate reality and fool people,” El-Sisi told reporters at the airport.

“What was done before will not be done again. Why? This is thanks to God and you," El-Sisi said, referring to Egyptians.

President El-Sisi was greeted at the airport by a number of state officials, including the prime minister and the interior and defence ministers.