Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi extended Christmas greetings to all Egyptian Coptic Christians overseas.

In a greeting cable conveyed to Egyptian Christians through all Egyptian embassies and consulates abroad, the president said it gives him great pleasure to express his warmest greetings on Christmas.

"I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy year, hoping that our precious homeland will be always blessed by success, progress and prosperity," the cable read.

The vast majority of Egyptian Christians are Orthodox Copts who celebrate Christmas on 7 January, which is an official day off in Egypt.