Political Engineering in Egypt: Al-Organi’s Emerging Role

The Arab Tribes Union, led by Ibrahim Al-Organi, is preparing to launch a political party amid speculation over its alignment with Egypt’s ruling regime
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Zawia3

Over the past two days, some Egyptian media outlets have revealed preparations by the “Union of Egyptian Tribes and Families,” along with former political officials and public figures, to launch a new political party in anticipation of next year’s parliamentary elections. The new party is expected to serve as the political arm of the Union of Tribes, which was established in mid-2023 under the leadership of Sinai businessman Ibrahim Al-Organi.

The Union has stirred significant controversy in the Egyptian political arena since its formation in May, led by Al-Organi, the owner of Hala Company. This company, responsible for coordinating the Rafah crossing (one of 35 companies owned by Al-Organi(, has come under fire for allegedly exploiting the genocide in Gaza by imposing “exorbitant fees” on Palestinians attempting to leave the Strip.

The Union of Egyptian Tribes and Families held its founding meeting on Wednesday, December 4, to outline a comprehensive vision in preparation for officially launching the party. The party, which may be named “Egyptian National Union,” is expected to include public figures and former officials such as Ibrahim Al-Organi, head of the Arab Tribes Union; former Minister of Housing Assem Al-Gazzar; former Minister of Agriculture El-Sayed El-Quseir; former Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine El-Kabbaj; and former Speaker of Parliament Ali Abdel Aal. Other attendees reportedly include MPs Ahmed Raslan, Magdy Morshed, Hisham Magdy, Margaret Azer, Atef Mokhalif, and Suleiman Wahdan; Sheikh El-Sayed El-Idrisi, a Sufi leader; and Major General Adel Labib, former Governor of Alexandria and former Minister of Local Development.

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Ambiguity

A state of ambiguity and secrecy has surrounded information about the new party that the Arab Tribes Union seeks to establish as its gateway into Egyptian political life. While some news outlets have reported on preliminary consultations between Al-Organi’s Union and public figures regarding the party’s creation and the possibility of its official announcement on Sunday, pro-regime media outlets—particularly those owned by United Media Services, which is affiliated with a sovereign authority in Egypt—have conspicuously avoided publishing any details about the meeting. This silence contrasts with their previous coverage of the Union’s activities since its inception in May.

Some reports also suggest a diminishing role for Al-Organi within the party, with the possibility that it could be led by former Minister of Housing Assem Al-Gazzar, who currently serves as Secretary-General of the Arab Tribes Union and Chairman of Neom Company, part of Al-Organi Group.

Mustafa Kamel El-Sayed, a political science professor at Cairo University, interprets the silence of pro-regime media as indicative of a lack of consensus within state agencies regarding this party’s formation and role. He believes this signals opposition to the party’s establishment among some factions of the state.

Similarly, human rights and political researcher Mustafa Shawky views the absence of media coverage of such a high-profile political gathering in a major hotel as evidence of internal disagreements within the state apparatus. Shawky adds that the proposed party appears to be aimed at preparing for the upcoming parliamentary elections, though its viability remains uncertain.

Hours after news broke about the preparations for the new party involving the Arab Tribes Union, the Union’s official Facebook page released a statement asserting that the Cairo meeting was aimed at promoting national unity and societal values. The statement described the gathering as part of a series of organizational meetings to ensure that Egyptian tribes and families serve as a protective shield against regional challenges and support national stability, without providing further details.

It is worth noting that shortly before the meeting, MP and journalist Mostafa Bakry, known for his pro-regime stance, stated on his program Facts and Secrets on Sada El-Balad TV that “a new political party will emerge in Egypt soon, bringing fresh faces to the political scene.” He concluded by saying: “We will not leave President Sisi to face these challenges alone. We are at war against rumors. We have eight talk shows, but we need people to speak to the public, clarify facts, and expose conspiracies against Egypt.”

Support for the Majority Party?

The controversial meeting comes as the current legislative term in Egypt (House of Representatives and Senate) nears its end, with parliamentary elections for the new term scheduled to begin in late 2025.

The meeting also took place less than two months after Abbas Kamel, who had been head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service and was described as “the second man in the state” and “the president’s shadow” over the past decade, was replaced by Major General Hassan Rashad. Kamel was reassigned as the President’s Advisor, Security Coordinator, and Special Envoy.

Shawky believes that the Union is seeking a political role following its recent prominence and sees the upcoming parliamentary elections as an opportunity to engage in the political landscape. However, he rules out the possibility that this entity could replace the majority party, Future of the Nation.

Hesham Kassem, a political figure, notes that there is no official party yet, nor have any announcements about this entity been published in official or pro-regime media. He speculates that this is either an attempt to position the group as a supporter of the majority party or an experiment that remains uncertain in its execution.

Kassem argues that despite the prominence of the figures involved in the meeting, their attendance suggests they were summoned for the role rather than reflecting the importance or potential of the party itself. He concludes that Ibrahim Al-Organi is merely a facade for economic activity, rewarded by the regime for his past actions but limited in his scope.

Professor Mustafa Kamel El-Sayed dismisses the idea that the regime would rely on the new party from the Arab Tribes Union instead of existing loyal parties like Future of the Nation. He notes that President Sisi’s rhetoric, centered on the “New Republic” and the “Long Live Egypt” slogan, avoids tribalism, which underpins the Union.

El-Sayed believes the party’s creation lacks the approval or support of key state entities. He questions the motives and vision of the parties advocating for such an initiative, emphasizing that Egypt’s elections currently fail to meet the standards of free and fair contests. Even if some candidates succeed, it would not necessarily reflect genuine popularity.

Engineering Political Life

Among the notable attendees at the proposed party’s meeting was former Minister of Local Development Major General Adel Labib, who previously served as a State Security officer and Governor of Qena, Beheira, and Alexandria under Mubarak’s regime.

A political source, who requested anonymity, revealed that the security wing of the ruling regime did not oppose the meeting held at one of Cairo’s most luxurious hotels. This contrasts with recent years, during which security agencies have strictly prohibited political or public gatherings.

The source added that the intelligence wing within the regime opposes this initiative, favoring a strategy of engineering Egypt’s political life by recruiting prominent political figures and middle-generation leaders to form a political party and energize other parties ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections.

It is notable that shortly after the aforementioned meeting, the Awareness Party announced its reactivation with a new structure under the leadership of Basel Adel and the integration of the Dialogue Bloc members in preparation for the upcoming elections.

Medhat El-Zahed, head of the Socialist Popular Alliance Party, interprets this development as part of the regime’s broader effort to engineer Egypt’s political map. He sees it as a cosmetic attempt to recycle prominent figures to present a facade of political diversity.

Elham Eidarous, a founding member of the Bread and Freedom Party, dismisses the possibility of this new party replacing Future of the Nation, describing regime-aligned parties as artificial constructs serving the system’s interests. She argues that the current regime avoids the concept of a single ruling party, preferring loyalist parties to support the state while ultimately serving the ruling system.

Eidarous believes this approach allows the regime to continuously create and replace parties based on its needs, converting the political scene from one of majority and opposition to a variety of forms. She notes that the regime’s inability to engineer local elections reflects its lack of a unified party to control such processes.

Rejection

El-Zahed rejects the establishment of parties based on tribal affiliations, emphasizing that parties should be founded on full citizenship. “We oppose political parties with tribal or armed militias, or those with a history of violence,” he says, referencing allegations against Ibrahim Al-Organi for detaining security personnel under former Interior Minister Habib El-Adly.

He calls for lifting restrictions on existing parties to promote pluralism and diversity rooted in citizenship rather than creating loyalist entities to fill political voids. Professor El-Sayed echoes this view, arguing that tribal-based parties violate Egypt’s constitution and party law, which prohibits political activities based on religion, gender, or geography.

According to Egypt’s constitution, the next House of Representatives elections are scheduled to begin on November 12, 2025, within 60 days of the current term’s expiration.

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