Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi put forward a 30-month plan aimed at preparing a new generation for senior government roles, while also stating that his time in office would conclude by 2030 and that no changes to Egypt's Constitution were under consideration.

At a Saturday ceremony marking the graduation of the Egyptian Military Academy's inaugural cohort alongside new graduates from other military colleges, Sisi told those assembled that the question of his term's conclusion had already been resolved.

The view he put forward was that cultivating a field of capable candidates needed to begin well ahead of any transition, giving both voters and state institutions sufficient time to assess their options.

Under the plan, doctoral graduates between the ages of 40 and 50 — drawn from accredited institutions in Egypt or abroad — would carry out their work at the Military Academy. Candidates would sit selection assessments, with the academy then delivering a training programme spanning as many as 30 months.

Batch sizes of 200, 300, 500, or larger were outlined as viable under the initiative, with the precise number tied to how the selection process unfolds. The Armed Forces were identified as the party bearing all associated expenses.

According to the president's outline, the programme would cover how government operates, the stewardship of public resources, and the conditions needed to keep state institutions intact. Holding senior office, he argued, calls for more than polished public speaking — those who take on such roles also face the responsibility and pressure that come with them.

A framework for the programme, along with the legislation needed to govern candidate selection, would take shape through consultations involving the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the higher education and justice ministers, and a broader circle of politicians and intellectuals — an arrangement put forward by President Sisi.

The initiative, he argued, is intended to prepare people for a range of public roles — from ministerial and parliamentary posts through to local positions — rather than focusing narrowly on the presidency.

Several aspects of the process have yet to be worked out, among them the criteria by which candidates would be evaluated and how any required training would fit within the legal framework already governing presidential eligibility. No clarity emerged from Sisi's remarks on whether completing the programme would carry any formal weight for specific positions or remain a matter of individual choice.

The view he put forward was that voters deserve a genuine opportunity to weigh in on candidates who meet the established criteria.

Sisi's statement that his tenure runs through 2030 forms the backdrop against which the proposal has taken shape. Those comments came after he had already stated his opposition to any constitutional changes that would allow him to remain in power beyond his current term.

Amendments to the constitution passed in 2019 lengthened the presidential mandate from four years to six and opened the door for President Sisi to stand for a third term, one that runs through to 2030.

Delivering that address, he indicated that honouring the timeline would not bring his broader work on the state's readiness for what lies ahead to a halt. He expressed the view that Egypt possessed people with the capacity to shoulder national duties, provided they were given adequate preparation.

Pointing to the risk of treating governance as on-the-job learning, he argued that anyone moving into a leadership post should already hold a grounded familiarity with how state institutions function.

At the ceremony, Sisi turned to past episodes of economic and political upheaval to frame broader points about governance and resilience. According to his account, former Defence Minister Tantawi's time heading the ministry involved building up resources and institutional capacity that the state could draw on when future pressures arose.

According to Sisi, military expenditure cuts freed up around 80 billion Egyptian pounds that were channelled toward national needs in 2011. A $450 billion toll on the economy was among the figures he cited from that period of turmoil, invoking them as a reminder of what prolonged instability can cost.

Gratitude was extended toward Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait for the support they provided to Egypt throughout 2013 — a period of acute financial strain during which deliveries of fuel, wheat, gas, and bottled butane arrived from all three nations.

Regional security also came up, with the president indicating that Egypt stood ready to act in defence of Gulf allies at their request. A parliamentary emergency session, he argued, should be convened to grant authorisation for any such measures, with the proviso that whatever action followed would be protective in nature and not directed against any other party.

Ties between Egyptian and Saudi security were described as deeply intertwined, with the two countries' shared interests extending to the Red Sea corridor and the global shipping lanes that pass through it.

Unrest along Egypt's southern and western frontiers also drew attention in the address, with the view put forward that conditions in Sudan, Libya, and Gaza carry consequences for Egypt and the broader Arab world.

Two groups of graduates — cadets drawn from the military college and the inaugural class of the Egyptian Military Academy — took part in the proceedings. Physical training drills and combat demonstrations were part of the ceremony, with the head of state stepping forward to award honours to the highest-ranking students.

Speaking to graduates, Sisi argued that a military's effectiveness rests on more than firepower alone — drawing equal weight from learning, professional skill, personal discipline, and a sustained sense of purpose. Professionalism in carrying out their responsibilities was what he called for, alongside a commitment to ongoing skill development.

Under the proposal, the Military Academy would serve as a hub for developing leadership capabilities intended to span both uniformed service and civilian life. How that initiative translates into a formal pathway toward elected office depends on the rules and legislation taking shape over the months ahead.