Kuala Lumpur:Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received a state welcoming ceremony at Istana Negara during his first official visit to Malaysia since taking office in June 2014. The visit was made at the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, President El-Sisi arrived on Saturday morning and was warmly greeted by Sultan Ibrahim at 1008 am. Attending the ceremony were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, and Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
The event featured a guard of honour inspection by El-Sisi, which included officers and personnel from both the First Battalion of the Royal Ranger Regiment and the broader Malaysian Armed Forces. The ceremony began with the national anthems of Egypt and Malaysia, followed by a 21-gun salute.
Following the ceremony, Sultan Ibrahim held a private audience with President El-Sisi and the Egyptian delegation, which included a presentation of royal tokens of appreciation. The day concluded with a state banquet at the Grand Banquet Hall hosted by Sultan Ibrahim in El-Sisi's honour.
This visit marks the first by an Egyptian president to Malaysia in nearly 30 years, the last being by former President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak in 1997. Mubarak also visited Malaysia in 1979 as the Egyptian Vice President.
Wisma Putra announced that El-Sisi, accompanied by Egyptian ministers and officials, will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. They plan to review bilateral cooperation and discuss regional and international issues. The meeting will include the signing of memoranda of understanding between the two nations and an official hi-tea at the Seri Perdana Complex.
Malaysia and Egypt have maintained diplomatic relations since 1959. In 2025, Egypt was Malaysia's seventh-largest trading partner in Africa, with trade valued at RM3.08 billion (US$720 million). From January to August 2026, trade increased by 74.7% to RM3.49 billion (US$870 million).