Channels, websites and newspapers affiliated with United Media Services began referring to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with the title “His Excellency the President, the Leader” instead of “Mr. President” or “His Excellency the President,” according to what the Al Manassa website documented in a report published on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, in which it said it noticed the title coming into use during coverage of Egypt Forum 2026.
On Tuesday evening, Al-Dostour newspaper published a story whose headline begins with the phrase “His Excellency the President, the Leader Sisi,” while Al-Watan newspaper described the president in a story published on Monday, 19 October, as “the Leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.” Al Manassa said the title also appeared on Extra News’s account on X, while the state-owned newspapers Al-Ahram, Al-Akhbar and Al-Gomhuria kept the customary title.
Al Manassa quoted two sources working at outlets affiliated with the company, who asked not to be named, as saying the change came on the company’s instructions. One of them, a journalist at a news channel, said his manager verbally told him to use the full phrase whenever the president is mentioned in the news, and that the instruction covers presenters, reporters and the news ticker. The report noted that statements issued the same day by the Cabinet, the presidential spokesperson and the State Information Service used the customary title.
Television presenter Amr Adib criticised the change on his programme “Al-Hekaya” on MBC, saying the president is a president and a leader but does not need these titles, and stressing that this was his personal opinion. The Al Manassa report pointed to United Media Services’ link to the Eagle Capital fund, owned by the General Intelligence Service, citing an investigation published by Mada Masr in 2017.
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