Egypt's Sisi thanks Trump for Nile support, urges Gaza peace push

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi expressed gratitude for U.S. support on a critical water dispute and pressed for continued American leadership on Gaza during a meeting with President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday. The discussions underscored Egypt's central role in two of the Middle East's most pressing issues: regional water security and postwar stabilization.

Thanks for backing on the Nile dispute

President Sisi explicitly thanked Trump for Washington's stance on Egypt's water security, a reference to the long-running dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). "I thank President Trump for his support to Egypt on the water issue," Sisi said, according to Egypt's state-run Al-Qahera News. Trump had stated earlier this month that the U.S. was prepared to restart mediation between Egypt and Ethiopia over the dam, which Cairo and Khartoum fear could significantly reduce their share of the Nile River's flow. The GERD became operational on the Blue Nile in September 2025 after 14 years of contentious construction.

A call for sustained engagement on Gaza

Shifting focus to the Gaza conflict, President Sisi urged Trump to maintain active American sponsorship of ceasefire efforts. Crediting Trump's intervention for halting the hostilities, Sisi stated, "Were it not for President Trump's efforts, the Gaza war would not have stopped." He emphasized that Egypt is exerting "maximum possible effort" to ensure the success of endeavors aimed at a permanent end to the war and called for continued U.S. engagement until related plans are fully implemented. The war, which began in October 2023, has resulted in over 71,500 Palestinian deaths, according to local health authorities.

Egypt joins the emerging "Board of Peace"

In a related diplomatic development, Egypt's Foreign Ministry confirmed that Cairo welcomes an invitation from Trump for President Sisi to join the newly formed "Board of Peace." The ministry stated Egypt "agrees to accept the invitation after completing the relevant legal and constitutional procedures." This board is part of a broader U.S.-proposed plan adopted by the UN Security Council and coincides with the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire. Egypt's participation, alongside other regional actors like Türkiye and Pakistan, is seen as crucial for lending legitimacy and operational heft to the postwar framework.